Aug. 15, 2002 – If you're interested in working as an airport screener with the federal Transportation Security Administration, you can submit an application on Saturday at either of the Education Department's Curriculum Centers — on St. Thomas and on St. Croix — between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Delegate Donna M. Christensen said in a news release that her staff will be on hand to help people navigate the computerized on-line application process. She said she arranged for the centers to serve as application sites because, initially, all V.I. applicants had to apply on St. Thomas. Applying for the job is the first step in a lengthy process.
Screeners now employed at the airports are encouraged to apply for these jobs, a TSA official said in July. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, speak English, hold a high school or general equivalency diploma, pass hearing and visual tests, and able to lift suitcases. A relevant background, which could include military experience, will be a plus.
As things now stand, testing for the territory's security screener jobs still will be done only on St. Thomas. However, Christensen said she is working with TSA officials to provide for testing on St. Croix, too.
The TSA announced in July that it expects to hire 140 baggage and passenger screeners at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix and 130 at Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas.
The St. Croix airport currently has 14 screeners and three supervisors; the St. Thomas facility has 31 screeners and three supervisors. All work for Worldwide Flight Services Inc., which holds contracts with the airlines for the service.
The federal jobs are to start by the Nov. 19 deadline set by President Bush when he signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act into law on Nov. 19, 2001. The law shifts responsibility for airport screening from private companies to the federal government.
The TSA is recruiting people for these full- and part-time positions at 429 airports across the country. The jobs pay $23,600 to $35,400, depending on experience. Additionally, workers get what the federal government calls "locality pay" and federal government benefits.
Anyone wishing to apply for a position who is unable to make it to a Curriculum Center on Saturday should visit the Transportation Security Administration Web site or call toll-free (888) 328-6172 .
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