With a slow and steady drop in unemployment rates, more Lowndes County residents are working this summer than since the recession of 2008. But the number of those seeking employment may be on the rise, as many are seeking summer jobs, while on a break from high school or college. And with six or more weeks to go before school begins, the job hunt for some students will continue.
“For juniors and high school seniors, stick to the basics,” CPI Group Operations Coordinator Meagan Coughlin said. “Look for those seasonal summer jobs, such as baby-sitting and mowing the lawn. These jobs are usually easy to come by through your church or your parent’s co-workers. If you are 18 years or older, look for those seasonal jobs with local businesses that are booming because of summer, like home building stores and lawn care companies. If students find it tough to find a summer job, I recommend volunteering with a local organization to enhance your resume and acquire skills for when students finally do enter the workforce.”
But are summer jobs available for students and teens in the area? A recent article by Reuters said teens are struggling to find summer employment for the third year in a row, describing 2010 and 2011 as “the toughest summers on the job front, since World War II.” And while federal, state and local governments have reduced or cut summer work programs, a handful of Lowndes County youth have been employed for a 10-week period.
“We were able to hire 10 young people between the ages of 16-18 for a 10-week work program,” County Administrator Ralph Billingsley said. “They work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until noon for a total of 25 hours a week. They are paid $9 an hour for their work.”
Billingsley said the workers begin their work in District 1 and will go through all five districts twice before the program ends. “We have a huge litter problem in the county at the moment and they will help pick up litter,” Billingsley said. “We already have a crew picking up litter and people who are doing community service work as picking up litter. Now we have a third entity picking up litter on the county roads.”
Although summer workers previously were hired by the Road Department, Billingsley said the work program is relatively new.
“We are analyzing it as we go, but I think it’s been successful so far,” said Billingsley. “I hope we are able to do this again next year. It helps us clean up the roads and it gives the kids something to do, during the summer while they are out of school.”
Grateful
for employment
For those not hired through the county’s work program, finding a summer job for many proved to be a daunting task.
Tedi Welker, 19, a junior nursing major at Mississippi University for Women, said she began applying for jobs before the end of the spring semester in hopes of finding summer work.
“I applied to almost every restaurant and clothing store in Columbus,” Welker said. “I put in a lot of applications. Places either weren’t hiring or they didn’t call me back. It was really tough to find a job.”
Today, Welker, along with several other college-aged men and women, works at Smacker’s Frozen Yogurt in Columbus.
“I was so happy to finally find a job,” she said. “It’s especially nice to work somewhere that allows me some flexibility for school.”
“I just feel fortunate to have a job,” said Coti Mills, 20, a junior nursing major at MUW and employee at Smacker’s. “It was really hard to get a job and I’m so grateful to have this one.”
Paid internships provide another avenue for youth. Sam Gause, a student at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., came to Columbus in June to begin an internship at The Dispatch. Gause said he, too, was happy to be employed.
“I’m very grateful to have a paid internship,” Gause said. “I feel like the number of unpaid internships are growing. It is really difficult to get a paid internship these days. To have a paid one is great. I feel like I’m actually a working part of the staff instead of just an intern.”
But being a paid intern, Gause said, does come with some added pressure.
“I’m getting paid to be a photography intern,” said Gause. “A lot is expected of me. I have the pressure of trying to keep my work fresh and to find things to shoot on my own. This is tough to do when you are not from Lowndes County and you don’t know everyone or where everything is. But I’m learning as I go.”
Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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