The soon-to-be-largest private employer in El Dorado County opened a job-assistance center July 7 in El Dorado Hills.

Red Hawk Casino's 57,000-square-foot facility on Windfield Way next month will offer training in casino-related skills such as card dealing. The casino is a venture of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.

On opening morning, a staff of 22 people at the casino's Temporary Employment and Training Center handled an early rush, staff members said. Clients were either filing applications on-line, with assistance, or getting preliminary, "screening"-type interviews.

"There were about 15 or 20 people waiting," said Stephanie Hawkins, who was on the reception desk at the time.

On-line is the sole way of getting an application in to casino officials for one of a predicted 1,750 positions, which will range from the whitest-collar to the bluest. A total of 12 computers are available at the assistance center for use by applicants.

"There will be more if demand requires," said David Gutierrez, a tribal spokesman.

"People were waiting with great anticipation," said Peter Fordham, casino general manager. "It was a broad spectrum of ages -- 18 to the 50s."

Julia Gutierrez, human-resources staff member, said she was able to get many applicants through the on-line application in just minutes, but that some received more than an hour's worth of help. Optional uploads to the Red Hawk Casino Web site of electronic-version, prepared resumes can be one of the time-consuming steps, officials said.

Fordham said early interest is mostly in card-dealer positions, and that experienced dealers as well as novices are applying.

"We're seeing interest from people who work at other area casinos," Fordham said. "They may want to shorten a commute."

Red Hawk Casino will open in December near Shingle Springs. In all, officials expect to do at least a preliminary interview on more than 15,000 applicants before that time, Fordham said. Of a total of 325 different job types for which hiring will be done, some 80 classifications have jobs open already, including management and supervisory, he said.

Classes in card-dealing technique will open in mid-August at the center.

Screening interviews for applicants are "personality-based," said human-resources staff member Holly Fonseca. She said one question is "describe a situation where you were on a team and had a specific goal to accomplish."

"The best indicator of the future is what's happened in the past," Fonseca said.

Another question concerns an applicant's describing a situation in which he or she received "little or no" guidance in carrying out a task or tasks, and what the result was, Fonseca said.

The job-assistance center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1117 Windfield Way off White Rock Road. Over-the-phone application assistance is available by calling (530) 677-7000.

The Telegraph’s Roger Phelps can be reached at rogerp@goldcountrymedia.com, or post a comment at folsomtelegraph.com