Summer job fair for teens coming Thursday
If you are age 16-21 and looking for a local summer job, your best chance at finding one may be Thursday, when the Pikes Peak Workforce Center sponsors its annual Youth Job Fair.
And if you are an employer looking for summer help, there's still time to get a free table at the Job Fair and sift through the hundreds of prospective employees the event usually attracts.
"Last year, we had 800 young people come to the job fair," said Jeanne Cotter, spokeswoman for the Workforce Center. "And it's really important this year, with the economy the way it is."
About three dozen prospective employers will take applications and interview job candidates from El Paso and Teller counties at the fair. But there's room for more.
Especially because some big names in summer hiring will be missing from this year's fair.
"Some of the fast food people aren't going to be there this year," Cotter said. "And we won't have the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo or Seven Falls, either."
Some employers are not hiring or are relying on past employees to fill in. And there's another trend squeezing younger workers out this year.
"We've heard, anecdotally, that adults are taking those jobs," she said. "That's always a concern when the job market gets tight. It's tough for the kids. They are at the bottom of the totem pole."
That's why the Workforce Center is encouraging folks seeking summer volunteers to come and meet the available talent.
"Young people who are really smart will go out and volunteer," she said. "If they can't get a job, it's good to get some experience even as a volunteer and put it on your resume for next year."
One of the bigger summer employers in the region is the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department, and it plans to hire about 220 young people this summer.
"We hire a lot of youth in our aquatics program, our community centers and a few in our maintenance department," said Kim King, a parks department manager. "The job fair is a great opportunity to find kids."
The department's jobs will pay minimum wage and up, depending on job duties and the employee's experience.
Job candidates are encouraged to dress up, update their resumes, and be ready to sell themselves.
"They should wear the Sunday best," Cotter said. "If they have a shirt and tie, wear it. Most definitely. They should be prepared to talk to employers."
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Call Vogrin at 636-0193
THE YOUTH JOB FAIR DETAILS
Sponsored by the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2886 S. Circle Drive on the northeast corner of Circle and Interstate 25.
BE PREPARED
Prospective employees are encouraged to dress up and bring a resume, if they have one, and be prepared to interview for a job. Businesses and groups seeking summer help - paid or volunteer - also are encouraged to attend, free of charge.
For more information
Contact Duke Compton, job fair coordinator, 667-3839.
