By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 500 job seekers showed up yesterday at a job fair to apply for the nearly 100 vacancies offered by Popeye’s Bahamas ahead of the restaurant’s December opening.

The franchise is looking to fill positions ranging from cashiers to line staff for its quick service restaurant.

Organisers said applicants began to assemble in the parking lot of the former Bahamas Wholesale Agency building as early as 6.30 am – nearly three hours before the job fair’s scheduled start.

Kendall Hutchinson, Popeye’s Bahamas general manager, said he was “definitely surprised” by the number of persons that showed up to Tuesday’s fair, adding that the “eagerness” displayed by applicants proves that persons in the Bahamas, particularly the youth, truly want jobs.

“It is clear that people want to work and as we go through the process of the interviews, building a bank of pertinent information on these potential employees, we are seeing that eagerness,” he said. “We want persons who are service-oriented, friendly, energetic. Mostly, we want persons that are flexible, those willing to work shifts; those persons that are truly interested in the positions we have to offer and not just wanting to work.”

One participant in Tuesday’s job fair, a 32-year-old mother of two, said the event provided her with a chance to regain her independence.

The mother, who did not want to be identified, said she has been relying on family and friends for financial assistance since losing her last job more than three years ago.

“I wanted to know that there was still hope,” she said. “I am here for a chance at a job, I need to know that there is still hope. There are a lot of people here today but I just need a chance to get in and get interviewed. Once I do that, the rest is up to God.”

She told reporters that she arrived at the interview site around 8am yesterday, hoping to be one of the first persons in line.

“I met a crowd when I came, a lot of people who are younger than me – they might have a better chance than I do, but I will not let that discourage me,” she said.

One of those young persons, a recent high school graduate, told The Tribune that Tuesday’s fair was just the latest stop in his job quest.

The now part-time student at The College of the Bahamas said while he has become jaded by the results of his job hunt, he refuses to give up because he believes that eventually he will land the job he needs to help him pay his tuition.

“I have followed all the recommendations I have ever received about preparing for an interview. I am scared but I really need this job, school fees need to be paid and a job like this provides me with a chance to go to school and still make enough money to help with my college bills,” the student said.

The Popeye’s Bahamas franchise is owned and operated by brothers Chris and Terry Tsavoussis, owners of local fast food giants Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza.

The businessmen are currently constructing a $2m, 4,000 square foot store in eastern New Providence.

Human Resources Manager Chantell Dames said intensive training for the restaurant’s new slate of employees would begin next week.

Randy Sands, operations vice president for the brand, said officials anticipate opening three stores across New Providence over the next three years depending on how well the brand is received.

In August, the Department of Statistics revealed that the country’s unemployment rate had declined by 3.7 per cent since last November, from 15.7 to 12 per cent.

However, that figure is expected to rise sharply when a new survey is completed this month, considering the recent layoffs of more than 2,000 employees from the Baha Mar resort.