WILLISTON, N.D. -- An opportunity to fill open positions at local businesses using foreign workers has been successful and has given employees a chance to learn about other cultures.
College students from South America have worked at some Williston businesses since December. They're in town via a work program run by Maryland-based firm United Work and Travel.
Most of the students are from Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia.
About half of the 90 students are in Williston; the rest are in Minot and Dickinson. The students will be working until March.
Economart owner Mike Kraft said the program is a bog success. "It's a very good opportunity for us. They are very intelligent, polite and hard-working students."
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Kraft said he lined up 23 students through the program. Eighteen of them are working in Williston, and five others are working at other stores Kraft runs in Stanley and Tioga.
"It helped a lot during the holiday season. It shored up our day-to-day operations and allowed us to provide even better service than we were already," Kraft said.
Another Williston business seeing a benefit is McDonald's. Vern Brekhus, first assistant manager, said the program is a big plus for the fast-food restaurant.
"The mood and morale around the store is better," Brekhus said.
He added that on top of the improved service, friendships between the students and local workers have emerged.
Brekhus said it's been interesting to see the workers also try to learn words and phrases in Spanish and Portuguese. Portuguese is Brazil's official language in Brazil, Spanish in the others
Sue Cushman, director of employer operations for United Work and Travel, said the feedback she's received from employers in Williston has been positive "They've gotten pretty comfortable. I was pretty proud of the students," she said.
Cushman said the company held a welcome party for the students recently.
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Overall, she said only one recurring complaint has come from the students.
"The powdered snow. Nobody's been able to make a snowman yet!" she said.
Cushman said housing the student workers has been a work in progress, with host families and The Vegas Hotel providing rooms.
Other businesses involved in the program are Walmart, Applebee's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Domino's Pizza, Quiznos, OK Distributing, the El Rancho, Missouri Flats Inn and Marquis Plaza and Suites.
Cushman said more businesses are in line for the next round of the program in the spring. The next group of students arrives in March and will be in town for three and a half months.
