Plans call for shuttle to bring workers to Lake George

LAKE GEORGE | A looming shortage of workers this summer in Lake George has prompted planning for a shuttle to operate daily between the Capital District and Lake George to transport employees from Albany, Schenectady and Troy to and from Lake George businesses. Warren County Employment & Training director Liza Ochsendorf is working closely with Tech Valley Hospitality Shuttle and several organizations in the Capital District to fill many hundreds of open job positions. As the summer season ramps up, Liza and her colleagues on a recruiting task force are seeking to fill as many of those vacant job positions as possible with people in the tri-cities who have a lack of reliable transportation. The need for workers is substantial. Last summer, during the pandemic, hundreds of people weren't available to work due to the pandemic and about 1,500 jobs normally taken on by foreign students went unfilled because of international COVID-19 travel restrictions. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people flocked to Lake George as an escape from their lockdown boredom — and to enjoy natural surroundings in a safe place where businesses were following strict COVID precautions. The result? Hotel and motel executives and managers were changing beds and washing laundry, and restaurant owners and managers were waiting on tables and washing dishes, area officials have said. This year, advance reservations are coming in at a record pace, Lake George Chamber of Commerce President Gina Mintzer said, so the staffing shortage is likely to be almost as severe. "Omigod, the bookings are so solid," she said. "It's all hands on deck right now." Ochsendorf cautioned that an adequate workforce is vital for the future prosperity of Lake George. "If businesses are understaffed and their employees are underworked, it affects customer service and their clients will likely not come back," she said. Ochsendorf added that the worker bussing initiative is considered important in the long term, because the area needs to assure it has sufficient workers in case another pandemic emerges, or international politics shuts down the source of workers from easter Europe. The recruitment task force promoted a special bus trip and hospitality tour May 8, offering potential workers a visit to Lake George that included visits to Fort William Henry, The Great Escape, Lake George Steamboat Co. and various hotels and attractions. Eight job seekers signed up — and although this response was far below the task force's expectations, Ochsendorf said that those eight had a pleasant experience and several secured good jobs. "It was a pivotal experience for them to see these new work opportunities," she said, noting that the people asked pertinent questions and they were very interested in seeing all the venues. "Several of the people had never been to Lake George or been on a boat before. For some of them, the trip to Lake George was life-changing." Mintzer said that the daily shuttle to and from the Capital District was a good addition to the recruitment programs that the Chamber is conducting through LakeGeorgeIsHiring.com and digital promotion — and efforts that other entities are undertaking. Devising a shuttle program that meets employers' and employees' requirements, however, is a challenge. One example is the fact that workdays start and end at many different times, which makes it difficult to schedule trips, Ochsendorf said. "We're working on logistics, which are confounding, but we're still moving forward — there are many advantages to the program," she said. If the shuttle becomes a reality, Ochsendorf said she wouldn't be too concerned if the bus wasn't full-on its initial trips. "We may start with a few workers, but it will snowball," she said, noting that more and more people would discover its convenience.

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Plans call for shuttle to bring workers to Lake George

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