Salt School Graduates 94 Hospitality Industry Candidates

Asbury Park

Salt School Graduates 94 Hospitality Industry Candidates

10 am to 1 p.m. Saturday Hospitality Job Fair Open to All Seeking Work Being Held At The Local Boys & Girls Club

By Michelle Gladden

From the dozen Asbury Park High School student to adults of all ages looking to carve out a new career path or for that after retirement job, the Salt School students all had very distinctive reasons for attending last month’s abridged, three session hospitality tutorial.

Created by hotelier David Bowd [at right with COO Jennifer Loughman and Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton] in conjunction with master waterfront redeveloper iStar, this Salt School rendition [the third in as many years] was specifically created to address the needs of the soon to reopen Asbury Lanes on Fourth Avenue.

The three Saturday morning session included everything from customer service tutorials by industry professionals to a behind-the-scenes look at what is to come when the Asbury Lanes opens Memorial Day weekend.

“Salt School really does take an army,” Bowd said. “There a lot of people involved in what has taken us to where we are today.”

Bowd said the idea was formed to give back to the community.

Among the day’s graduates in attendance was Nehemiah Cotton, 20, of Neptune, who said she “wanted to try something new and I knew this would be a great experience.”

Yvonne Paradiso, 59, of Asbury Park who has owned her own ventures and is a repeat student currently in culinary school, said she believes in Asbury Park’s rebirth and wanted to be a part of the new venture.

Eric Pinckney, a former Asbury Park Press employee with a 20 year background in publishing, and city resident said the program ‘is giving me a second chance.”

Donna Klima, 38, of Red Bank said she was transitioning out of the corporate world to follow her passion of becoming a baker. Back from living in Colorado for a period of time she said, “Now I’m set to fulfil my dreams in a cutting edge community.”

In total there were 163 applicants, COO Jennifer Loughman said.

Held at Asbury Park Brewery, located at 810 Sewall Ave, who has become a partner through the creation of an Asbury Lanes lager, the graduation event was a breakfast buffet affair that included attendance by the student’s friends and family.

iStar Land and Development Vice President Brian Cheripka, who was among the featured industry guest speakers, said they accepted 100 into the program and anticipated 94 would graduate.

“It’s tremendously gratifying knowing the painstaking efforts we took to restore the iconic Asbury Lanes will result in significant employment opportunities for local residents, ” he said. “Asbury Park is a City on the rise and with programs like Salt School and community job fairs, we will be able to fuel job creation while simultaneously elevating the visitor experience.”

Syasia Kendle, 36, of Asbury Park an educator at Alphabets Preschool on Grand Avenue, said she wanted to perfect entertainment planning venture she does on the side.

“I got a lot of inspiration from the different presenters,” she said. “I’d like a job in banquet and catering but if I get a foot in the door, I will take it.”

The high school students said they were opting for box office, shoe rental, and server positions, while Highlands resident Jerri Lynch, 57, said she’d been a regular of the pre shuttered Asbury Lanes.

“I love music and just want to get back into the Asbury Park scene,” she said.

But for Bichone Syphax, a 40 year old city native, this was a road to security, in more ways than one.

“I honestly had no other option,” said Syphax who also works in construction. “The off and on jobs are not fulfilling and I been a part of the security team when the [Asbury Festhalle &] Biergarten opened.”

Along with 66-year-old Joan Tarantin of Avon, the pair hope to land jobs with the Asbury Lanes security team.

But with only 40 to 45 jobs being offered, the Salt School team elected to organize a community job fair.

“We have some amazing students that are seeing employment,” Experience Manager [HR] Brian Holland. “Unfortunately, we only have a certain number of jobs at Asbury Lanes and at The Asbury Hotel.”

Over a dozen business will participate in the 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. job fair being held at the local Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County, located 1201 Monroe Ave, organizers said. Open to anyone seeking a job, whether they attended the school or not, the Community Job Fair will allow Salt students first interviews from 9 to 10 a.m.

For more about the Asbury Lanes, click here.