Employee Loan Program at Olympics

With a little more than 6 months left until the start of the Olympic games, there are still over 1500 part-time jobs left to fill. In this tough economy, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has begun a creative program to fill most of those remaining positions through an employee loan program. VANOC is offering businesses and governments the opportunity to send employees to work temporarily at the Olympics. This will help them manage their budget effectively, while still maintaining a sufficient workforce for the games. The jobs available run from 8-weeks to 6-months. Positions are available in 32 of VANOC's 53 departments, ranging from Energy Deputy Manager to Sport Writer.
This is an excellent opportunity for local and even distant employees to gain unique experience working at one of the largest sporting events in the world. Not only will it be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that they will always remember, working at the games will also provide them with skills and confidence that they can bring back to their employers. Seconded staff were also used in the 1988 Olympic Winter Games at Calgary, and those loaned workers still remember the expierence as life changing. This program will stimulate not only individual careers, but also the companies they work for. More experienced employees will enrich their companies with new perspectives, and with 1500 jobs available, many businesses have the opportunity to be positively impacted by sending staff.
Overall, it is a win-win for both the Olympics and those companies that send employees. This is just another way the Olympics can stimulate not only local economies and businesses, but also international corporations and governments.