After a successful debut last year, Stockton University is once again partnering with major Atlantic City businesses to offer students hands-on job opportunities, while helping to fill the seasonal labor shortage, as part of its Stockton Atlantic City Summer Experience Live, Work, Learn program.

About 140 students took part in year one of the initiative, which included 12 major Atlantic City business partners. That number has swelled to 245 expected participating students this summer and 15 partner businesses, including seven casino hotels, AtlantiCare, the Chelsea Economic Development Corp., Mighty Writers of Atlantic City and others.

Students who qualify apply for paying jobs with the partner businesses. If they are hired, the employer pays for the student to live in Stockton’s Kesselman Hall on the boardwalk. The students are also provided a free four-credit class centered around work-readiness skills to help them better understand diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues.

In a press release, Brian Jackson, Stockton Atlantic City chief operating officer and a program coordinator, noted that the increase in students is a direct reflection of how successful the program was in year one.

“We’re really seeing the students more engaged this year,” said Jackson. “They are more interested in the work they are doing, and they appreciate the opportunities that these employers offer them as part of their summer experience.”

Mount Olive native Michael Mora, a junior and business management major, is a return participant with the Live, Work, Learn program.

“I was originally a social work major,” said Mora. “Then I started working last summer at Borgata, and I liked the business and management aspect of this, so I switched (his major) over to that.”

He described it as a perfect opportunity.

“You don’t have to worry about anything,” said Mora. “You just get to work. This is the perfect job to go with my major.”

He is one of about 50 students who returned to the program and kept last year’s job throughout the school year. He is also one of about 30 in the program who works as a supervisor. In Mora’s case, he serves as food and beverage supervisor of in-room dining at the Borgata, as well as works at the indoor pool bar at the casino’s MGM Tower.

“That’s pretty amazing for a college student to be able to say they have that kind of management experience that they can put on their resume,” said Jackson.

In addition to the unparalleled experience and opportunity it offers students, the program also provides a partial solution to a concern for many of the partner businesses — to find seasonal employees every summer. Borgata hired the most Stockton students, about 70.

“We certainly got applicants for seasonal positions that are challenging to fill,” said Rick Berninger, vice president of human resources at Borgata. “The students are really good. They’re friendly. They are good with customer service. They are eager and willing to learn. Those things go a long way for us.”

“You can learn a lot in the classroom, but you learn a lot more hands-on,” Mora added. “It’s dealing with people and dealing with different situations that are stressful. It’s really educational.”