CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The coronavirus pandemic has taken a major toll on the community.
Visit Corpus Christi will be aiming to help the hospitality industry with a job fair Tuesday morning at the American Bank Center.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, many people have lost their jobs. But as Texas slowly begins to reopen, that means more people will be needed to fill certain positions in the hospitality industry.
“Really what we’re trying to do is we’re just trying to put people looking for a job with a lot of people in the industry that need a job,” said Brett Oetting, president and CEO of Visit Corpus Christi.
More than 35 businesses will be present at the American Bank Center. All of them hope to fill open positions in their businesses.
Oetting says filling certain spots can be tough. Many potential workers might not want jobs at the starter level or lose their federal benefits.
“I think another part, too, is COVID-19 is still around us and there’s some people that don’t feel quite comfortable getting out yet," Oetting said. "The hospitality industry is all about hospitality, so it’s being around people all day long. And so so you got to sympathize with people that just don’t feel comfortable."
The Point in Corpus Christi downtown will be among those looking for new workers as they have now opened for lunch.
“Things like this are great for downtown, great for the community as a whole to get people involved and back on their feet, and a lot of people were kinda hurt from the whole virus,” said Francisco Cancio, owner of the Point of Corpus Christi.
The Point's shift change is leading to a demand for cooks. Cancio understands how some potential workers may not want to lose their unemployment benefits.
“I feel like out of 10 employees, you'll find five good ones," Cancio said. "That's just business in general."
Oetting says it's crucial for the hospitality industry to get those jobs filled because Corpus Christi could see an uptick in visitors this summer.
“It’s not always about just a beach or just an attraction," Oetting said. "It's oftentimes how we make other people feel. And to do that effectively we need employees in those key positions."