Teens find employment search difficult

As high school students embark on another summer vacation, many will seek summer jobs. For some, the search will be harder than their final exams — but for those willing to take on less glamorous tasks there are options available.

Traditional job opportunities may be scarce for teens in the Rogue Valley, according to Tiffany Grimes of The Job Council.

Employers may be discouraged from hiring workers under the age of 18 because of the regulations involved, she said. Employees ages 14 to 15 may work only during certain hours, and employers must obtain permits to hire anyone under 18.

"There's really not a lot out there," Grimes said.

Two of The Job Council's programs, Rogue Valley Youthbuild and Rogue Valley Youthcare, specifically train high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24 for careers in construction and healthcare, respectively.

But there are local jobs available, particularly in sales and service areas. Some teens in Ashland have even managed to find jobs that will last beyond the summer.

John and Trina Brenes, owners of Music Coop on A Street, hire high school students almost exclusively. John Brenes said high school students are dependable and the store has very little turnover.

"They work here because they love it," he said.

Kai Evoniuk, 17, just graduated from Ashland High School. He started working at the Music Coop in February 2006 and said giving up his current job will be the saddest part of leaving for the University of Oregon in the fall.

"What high-schooler doesn't want to work in a music store?" he said.

The store usually keeps its teen employees from about 10th grade until they leave for college. John Brenes said that he, too, worked in a record store when he was in high school.

Rafferty Swink, 15, started working at the Music Coop last July. He said finding an entry-level job in Ashland is easy for those who don't mind manual labor, such as dishwashing.

"This is the dream job, really," Swink said.

Seasonal programs dropped

In Ashland, the Parks and Recreation department recently lost some of its seasonal community programs that utilized teen labor. The Garfield Park Program — which brought in teens to lead younger children in arts and crafts activities — will not operate this year. The programs were dropped due to a lack of community interest and the loss of $130,000 previously received annually from the Youth Activities Levy, according to Recreation Superintendent Rachel Teige.

Teige said that despite the cuts, Parks and Recreation still employs teens. She estimated that two of the 14 lifeguards at the Daniel Meyer Pool were of high school age.

"There's always a need for lifeguards," she said.

Aria Hemphill, 18, graduated from Ashland High School this year and will attend Cornell University in New York in the fall. She started looking for summer employment early and currently has two jobs downtown — one at Zoey's Café and one at Rogue Valley Runners.

She said she had little difficulty finding employment in Ashland and that the tourism industry creates plenty of entry-level customer service jobs for teens.

"Most of my friends have jobs," Hemphill said.