Cape May, NJ- New Jersey businesses employed about 6,000 students on summer work travel J-1 visas last year, many of them at shore businesses. About two-thirds of those students worked in Cape May County. Approximately 100,000 students come to the United States each year through the program, and stay for up to four months.
The J-1 visa program was established by the State Department to promote cultural exchanges by allowing foreign students to visit the United States and work at an American business while on break from school. Students sign up for various jobs, and are placed with a business that fits their area of interest. Many of them work in housekeeping jobs or restaurants as prep or bus person.
Normally the students have a prearranged job offer prior to their journey to the United States. Once they arrive, they get established in housing and work out transportation,often by biking to their jobs.
This summer at the Victorian Motel, we employed four students; two from Lithuania, one from Hungary, and one from Romania. In our business the students are paid market competitive wages. We had a great crew, most working for the first time, and they performed their assigned tasks brilliantly. We also employed three Cape May County residents in our housekeeping department this summer.
Critics argue that the J-1 Visa program takes jobs away from the local community. In our case, there were no walk-in applications for housekeeping positions rejected or turned away. Without the J-1 students we hired the summer would have been difficult if not impossible to manage.
What’s frustrating is the J-1 program has recently come under attack by critics who group the working students in with those that would unscrupulously engage in human trafficking. While there have been complaints of employers abusing or underpaying students, those complaints represent the smallest percentage possible.
The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce urged its members to write their legislators to exclude the J-1 program from human trafficking initiatives. To me it seems crazy to penalize a system that is crucial to so many in tourism related businesses.
More importantly, the benefit to the young people, willing to pack up and leave their home in Europe, many for the first time, would be lost, and they’d be prevented from engaging in a cultural experience to last a lifetime.
An excellent global citizen initiative to increase cultural understanding. The Victorian Motel is a real United Nations. Best to you all, Susan and Ambassador Mo Sacirbey
Author
Susan it truly is a mutually beneficial experience. I feel like I have contacts through-out Eastern Europe and the Philippines. Many places I hope to visit someday.
Thanks for commenting. Best to Mo.
John,great blog as usual.I’m not an employer ,just a city resident and seasonal worker and I would like to put my two cents in.A friend of mine looked for a front desk,customer service,computer-phone type job all summer and came up short.She filled out every application asked for and went to several call backs.She is also in my age group,late 50’s. I’m wondering if there is a bit of age bias lurking in the background What makes me laugh is we are both probably stronger physically and mentally than those school girls. I was lucky enough to land a job doing what school kids (both sexes }had done in the past and I’ve held that job for three years now.I do wonder though if I ever left it,would I be not hired somewhere because of my age. I’m just asking employers to keep minds open,these young folks are lovely but seasoned workers have a lifetime of experience and loyalty.There is always next summer for my friend .
Author
Hi There,
Thanks for commenting. Just a note that these folks all worked as housekeepers and two of them are county residents. Those two are year round workers. You should tell your friend to stop by our office. We may have a part-time desk opening for the fall and winter months.
Cheers!
The Berkeley
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London SW1X 7RL
United Kingdom
Dear Applicant
The Berkeley HoteL’S Management intends to urgently increase its man power base owing to increasing number of customers in the Hotel Interested candidates should be; intelligent, creative, devoted and hardworking men and women who will ensure continuous and stable operation in the hotel whilst maintaining the already established reputable standard of the organization thus maximizing productivity
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present in the CV/RESUME provided
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IF you are interested and can fill any of the listed positions above, you can contact us with CV/RESUME on the email address bellow.recruitment@berkeleyhotels.co.uk OR colive@berkeleyhotels.co.uk