Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
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Above, these Martinsville teenagers are earning money this summer by serving sandwiches and snacks at Chatmoss Country Club’s cabana. Shown (from left) are Chaz Lineberger, 17, son of Christopher and Cheri Lineberger; Alison Parker, 16, daughter of Andy and Barbara Parker; and Renee Despot, 18, daughter of Terry and Karen Despot. |
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
By KIM BARTO - Bulletin Staff Writer
The job market may be tight, but Renee Despot has no trouble staying busy this summer.
When not working at the cabana at Chatmoss Country Club, the 18-year-old juggles jobs such as petsitting, housework and assisting a certified public accountant to earn extra cash. Despot is trying to save money before heading to Virginia Tech in the fall.
“My mom told me I needed a job because I’ll be paying for college,” she said.
Despot, of Martinsville, seems to defy a recent study finding that teen employment is at its lowest point in 60 years. Chatmoss was the first place she applied last summer, she said. This year, she had no problem coming back to her job for another summer and said she hopes to return next year, as well.
But will other teens fare as well in their job searches? A report prepared by Andrew Sum from the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston predicted a bleak outlook for young people seeking work this summer.
Nationally, teen employment rates have been plummeting for nearly two years, the study found, and the first quarter of 2008 saw a teen employment/population ratio of 33.5 percent, the lowest since data began to be collected in 1948.
Locally, it seems to be a different story. Though Martinsville has the highest unemployment rate in the state, teens can still land summer jobs in certain sectors, according to a Virginia Employment Commission official.
“In Virginia, I don’t think it will be that bad,” said Bill Mezger, chief economist for the Economic Information Services Division of the VEC, in response to the study. “I think 2008 will still be a fairly good year for summer employment, though not as good as the last two years.”
The city’s high jobless rate, just above 10 percent in April, comes mainly from the factory sector, a field that would not attract many teens on summer break, Mezger said.
However, he added, “The fact that unemployment is higher in the area means there’s more competition for the jobs that are available.”
In Martinsville, Mezger said jobs should be available in the retail and service industries “where most teens look for employment. Some jobs are pretty much aimed at teenagers, and adults would not be seeking them in great numbers,” he added.
Food service is one popular option for young people. At Chatmoss, Despot is one of about 10 youth employees working at the poolside cabana for the summer, cooking and serving up snacks to hungry swimmers.
For those seeking work, a few openings are still available on the waitstaff at Wild Magnolia restaurant and bar, which opened recently in back of Patrick Henry Mall. Employees need to be 18 to serve liquor and 21 to work behind the bar.
“We’re always looking to find some good people,” especially those with restaurant experience, said manager Mike Pashley.
Also, the Martinsville/Henry County YMCA is short of lifeguards for the summer, said director Brad Kinkema. Applicants should have current certification in YMCA or Red Cross lifeguarding, be safety-conscious and responsible, he said.
“We need around 20 to 24 lifeguards for normal operation, and we’re probably four lifeguards shy of that right now,” Kinkema said.
Young people make up about 80 percent of the lifeguard staff, he said.
“We have a lot of students who go away to college and come back in the summer to work,” Kinkema said.
The Martinsville center’s pool is indoors and open year-round, but Collinsville’s pool is open seasonally from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Between the outdoor pool and summer swimming lessons, “it takes a lot of staff,” Kinkema said.
Lifeguards work varied hours, up to 40 a week. For some, like Samantha Hughes, of Martinsville, lifeguarding is one of multiple jobs.
Hughes, 19, has been a YMCA lifeguard for a couple of summers. She also umpires baseball and softball games for Henry County Parks and Recreation and is a sales representative for U.S. Cellular.
Her schedule is “pretty complicated,” Hughes said, but she does it to stay active during the summer.
“I don’t really like staying around the house doing nothing,” she said.
Hughes started working as an umpire three years ago. It seemed a good fit for her as a softball player, she said. In May and June, there are games every evening and several on weekends.
“It’s fun,” Hughes said — except when angry parents disagree with her calls.
About a dozen youth work as umpires every season, but the job attracts all ages, said Parks and Recreation Director Roger Adams.
The county offers a training session for the umpires, and experience playing the game is helpful, he said. The job averages 15 to 20 hours a week through May and June, though hours vary based on how many games each person works.
For qualifying youth aged 16 to 21, a state-funded job placement program can help them find work. The local Workforce Investment Act (WIA) office recently placed two applicants in jobs at Kmart and Roses, said Kami Spencer, youth case manager.
“We haven’t really had any problems” placing people, Spencer said.
The current participants are teenagers who “never had a job before, never really went out to apply anywhere,” she said. “We want to get them out in the work force and learn job skills.”
Eligible youth start with a day-long work readiness class that teaches them how to dress and present themselves, how to budget and what to expect from job interviews, Spencer said. They go through mock interviews before taking on the real thing and applying for jobs arranged by the WIA program.
“It’s very beneficial for them to get the practice doing that. In the future, they’ll have that experience and won’t be as nervous,” Spencer said.
Participants can get help with tuition, mileage and childcare while in the program. The program functions like an internship — youth are paid by WIA funds, not by the employer.
WIA is “always looking” for youth to apply and employers to participate, Spencer said. Applicants must have certain barriers, she said, such as limited income and challenges to finding a job or completing education. |
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