2020 Year in Review: Partnering to Help Camps Adapt
Nothing about 2020 was normal. Camps were, of course, no exception.
With the virus cases surging across the country, many camps were forced to close due to health and safety concerns for their campers, staff, and larger communities. Even in areas where summer camps were cleared to reopen, many leadership teams lacked the infrastructure, expertise, or resources to be able to adapt in time.
The numbers themselves are staggering. The American Camp Association estimates that annually summer camps provide more than 1.2 million jobs across the country. As a direct result of the pandemic, 900,000 of those jobs were lost in 2020.
But the summer was not without some glimmers of hope....
In September, the CDC released a report highlighting how a small number of Maine summer camps were not only able to keep their doors open, but to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 onsite.
It is a point of great pride for the team here at CampHire that we were ourselves able to support four camps in Maine that ran last summer. We were trusted partners in the days leading up to camp, and took on critical recruiting needs so Camp Directors could focus on devising their plans to keep the camp community safe.
Just a few of the ways we were able to support our partner camps:
In conversations with candidates, we briefed them on COVID protocols and prepared them for what to expect over the summer. This helped candidates understand what they were getting into, and know how to safely prepare for the summer.
When J1 Visas were suspended hours before international staff were set to board flights to the US, we strategized with camp directors to devise a plan in the event international staff would not make it to camp. This meant having qualified candidates on standby for important roles, ready to step in at hours notice.
When COVID protocols were officially announced in late June, we stepped in to assist camps in filling roles where existing staff dropped out last minute once they learned about the restrictions. We worked quickly to find replacements just days before camp.
Eager to put the 2020 season behind them, we’ve seen camps begin their planning process earlier than ever. Quality trained staff – camp nurses in particular – are in high demand. The CampHire team’s recruitment season is in full swing, and we’ve already placed a number of candidates that are not traditionally placed until the weeks leading up to camp.
Eager to lock in your own staff? We’d love to be your partner. Email us at info@camphire.com to get started today.