Teens packed into Crowne Plaza for job fair

Hundreds of job-hungry teens from across Colorado Springs descended on the south-side Crowne Plaza Hotel on Thursday to seek summer jobs and volunteer opportunities offered by about three dozen Pikes Peak area employers at the Governor's Summer Job Hunt Youth Job Fair.

Some wore suits. Many were in dress shirts and ties. Others wore their best hoodies and torn camouflage pants and slicked up their mohawk. Together, young people 16 to 21 filled a ballroom where restaurants, hotels, country clubs and other companies handed out applications and chatted up the teens.

"I'm hoping we can do all our hiring from this pool," said Norma Ledger, human resources supervisor at the year-old VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa near Woodmen Road and Powers Boulevard.

Randy McGee, HR manager at Home Depot, was looking for upward of 60 part-time summer employees for each of the company's five area home-improvement stores.

"This is a lot busier than past years," McGee said. "We're hoping to find a lot of employees today. We're ramping up for summer."

Equally enthusiastic was Samantha Iskra, HR manager at the Garden of the Gods Club.

"We have lots of fun jobs," Iskra told prospective employees who crowded around her table. "We have just about anything you are looking for."

It was her first time at the annual teen job fair, and she was impressed by the number of teens seeking jobs and the way most presented themselves.

"It's a great event," she said. "It helps us to be here and find good, quality help. There's really a lot of great applicants."

One of the students who turned in an application and résumé was Christoffer Jackson, 16, a junior at Sierra High School. He took advantage of a short school day because of statewide testing and was there when the doors opened.

He wore slacks, a dress shirt and a sweater and carried résumés, which he turned in with each application.

"I'm trying to find a job where I can grow and get work experience," Jackson said. "I'm looking for anyone, really, who will hire me."

Jackson attended last year's job fair, got several call-backs on applications and ended up working at Seven Falls.

However, the tourist attraction was among several traditional job fair participants that did not attend this year, along with Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and several fast-food employers.

"It's kind of disappointing," Jackson said. "But hopefully I'll find something. Last summer, I worked in the cafe and as a parking lot attendant. I learned about work ethic and customer care. I want to get more experience."

Jackson was accompanied to the fair by his aunt, Annette Ball, who said the event was a valuable opportunity for teens.

"It's important because at this job fair, he doesn't have to compete against adults," she said. "He's competing against other children his own age."

Duke Compton, coordinator of the job fair for the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, said he was impressed by the turnout.

"The first wave was pretty heavy, maybe upwards of 400 by noon," he said. "I expect it to be like this all day."

Students lined the walls of the ballroom and spilled into the hotel hallways and lobby, crouching over small tables and filling out applications.

"This will be my first job," said Keith Spottsville, 17, of Discovery High School. "I like to work with my hands. There's a lot of people here. I hope I can find a job."

Alan Brinck, 18, of Mesa Ridge High School, hoped to catch on with a parks department or land some other outdoor job.

"I need to make money for college," Brinck said. "I like the outdoors stuff."

Most employers handed out applications, including Sonic Drive-In, the lone fast-food employer in the room.

"Are you a roller skater?" asked Sherri Wignall, a supervisor of seven Denver-area restaurants. "We love roller skaters."

Wignall said her company wouldn't miss a youth job fair.

"We're always here," she said. "These kids are our future. A lot of us started this way. We believe in developing employees and promoting from within, working your way up."

Jackson filled out a Sonic application, and after about 90 minutes, he and his aunt were on their way.

"We're going over to The Broadmoor hotel to fill out an application," he said after learning from Robert Huckels, the resort's executive sous-chef, that upward of 300 summer jobs were available. "I'd be interested in working for The Broadmoor. Hopefully, I'll get something today."

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Call Vogrin at 636-0193