Video: Jobs and contracts up for grabs at Center Parcs

Center Parcs bosses met about 150 local companies and hundreds of job seekers at a special event in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, yesterday (Wednesday).

Even though somewhere in the region of 7,500 people have logged their interest in employment at www.centerparcscareers.co.uk people can still do the same.

Center Parcs chief executive Martin Dalby said the company is looking for a range of retail workers, cleaners, and administration staff, beauty therapists, masseuses, housekeepers and waiting staff.

Only the top line of eight senior managers have been appointed with the main recruitment drive due to start in the summer.

The venue, called Center Parcs Woburn Forest is due to open next year. It will host up to 4,000 holidaymakers around the year. It will not be open to locals to drop in and visit but the holidaymakers will be able to leave the site and visit other local tourist attractions.

Mr Dolby said Center Parcs is looking to work with a range of local firms who will all have to pass stringent quality checks.

“We’ve seen 150 busineses today,” said Mr Dalby on Wednesday evening. “Fifty-seven had appointments and the others walked up and said hello.”

The kind of businesses the firm is looking to work with includes taxi companies, plumbers, glazers, keep-fit instructors, window cleaners and “people who make cup cakes” and other food producers as long as they meet tough hygiene standards.

Some of the advanced bookings for the £250million Center Parcs Woburn Forest have been released this week.

The Center Parcs purchasing team is today, Wednesday, also taking part in an all-day exhibition at the Rufus Centre, Flitwick to link up with possible suppliers.

The added employment and use of local services has been calculated by the firm to be adding about £20million each year to the local economy.

The site will have 625 forest lodges and a 75 bedroom hotel. set in 365 acres of forest.