World Equestrian Center hiring nearly 70 positions, more coming soon

OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - Many places in North Central Florida are searching for new hires, including a popular spot in Ocala.

Leaders at the World Equestrian Center are holding a three-day job fair to get some new hires through their doors for nearly 70 positions. It’s happening in Exposition Center 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Wednesday.

Now that seasonal workers are off the clock, leaders are hunting for anyone interested in joining the team. Positions range from entry-level to executives.

“We’re really looking to hire individuals that we can train,” said Director of Hotel and Hospitality Operations, Justin Garner. “We really have some good training programs and internships available.”

Garner hopes holding the job fair over the course of three days rather than one will give anyone interested enough time to check it out.

“Our positions that are posted online now are really for need. We need those now before we get into our summer series.”

There are two big construction projects underway at WEC, which means there will be more positions to fill. A second hotel is expected to open May 2024 and an events center mid-2025.

Garner believes the expansion is good for Marion County’s Growth.

“I think there’s a lot of demand within the market for more room accommodations,” said Garner. “There’s a restricted amount of hotel room inventory available, so we’re seeing a lot of demand continue to build so certainly having a larger group accommodations like we’ll have in our 392 room hotel, where we can accommodate a lot of the youth sports that are coming into the market now.”

Although some jobs are vacant now, more positions will be phased in within the next year.

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