Despite shutdown drama, Columbus TSA hiring event sees large turnout
DUBLIN, Ohio Jan 29 2019 The Transportation Security Administration held a one-day recruitment and hiring event in Dublin less than 24 hours after the longest government shutdown in US history ended.
Scott Lorenzo, who is the Ohio Assistant Federal Security Director for the TSA, said this was the first time TSA held its recruitment and hiring event here in Columbus.
“I’m very impressed and very excited because we need the help and need the new officers,” Lorenzo said.
The event provided job seekers the opportunity to begin the application and hiring process to become part-time Transportation Security Officers at John Glenn Columbus International Airport. TSA is looking to hire more than 40 officers for the peak summer travel period.
Lorenzo said he was concerned that many people who not come to the event because of the partial government shutdown, which lasted 35 days. The shutdown caused more than 8-hundred thousand federal employees to miss two paychecks.
“After four weeks of no paychecks, I was concerned whether or not folks were going to come out,” Lorenzo explained.
The recruitment and hiring event was scheduled well before the government shutdown had begun, but organizers say more than 300 people still came out to apply for the TSA positions at John Glenn International Airport.
James McFarland was one of those job seekers. He said the partial shutdown didn’t sway him for wanting to work for TSA.
“Nope, I knew it would end at some point,” McFarland said.
He was recently laid off from his job and then, he heard about this opportunity. McFarland said he will take pride in this job if he is hired.
“It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I’m contributing to my country,” McFarland said.
Lorenzo said the event cuts down the hiring process by at least two months.
WCMH
