State Department of Labor Urges business to give teens a chance

Office of Government, Policy and Public Relations

The fact is, in good times and bad, high school and college students are always at a disadvantage because they are less experienced, less confident and are usually looking to work for a limited number of weeks. Just as they were last summer, these usual disadvantages are compounded by the economic downturn.

When employers can offer teens a place to earn and learn, they are investing in the workforce of the future and impacting those teen more than they could have realized. The Council of Economic Advisors wrote in a 2010 report that deep downturns in the economy have a particularly adverse effect on young Americans. “Teens who first enter the labor market during a recession can have trouble getting their feed onto the first rung of the career ladder, leaving them a step or more behind throughout their lives,” the report says.

“There’s no question that the outlook for work has improved over last summer,” says Department of Labor and Employment Executive Director Ellen Golombek, “but things haven’t improved to the point that there won’t still be challenges ahead.” She notes that the Governor’s Summer Job Hunt is important in tough economic times “because it helps teens learn of job opportunities and understand how to market themselves to employers.”

Teens can learn more about the program by visiting the Department of Labor and Employment’s website at http://www.colorado.gov/cdle/youth. Employers who can give young people an opportunity to learn, to put skills to use and see firsthand how a business operates, should contact their nearest Workforce Center:

Edwards
0069 Edwards Access Rd #9 (970-926-4440)

Frisco
602 Galena Street (970-668-5360)

Glenwood Springs
Glenwood Springs Mall, 51027 Hwy 6 & 24, #173 (970-945-8638)

Satellite offices are also available in Leadville (115 W 6th Street, 719-486-2428) and Rifle (310 West Third, 970-625-5627). Please call ahead for days and times of operation for these satellite offices.

“Employer participation is critical,” stresses Ellen Golombek. “The Governor’s Summer Job Hunt is depending on every community-minded employer to find just one job for a teen. Whenever a young person is encouraged, enlightened or empowered, each of us everywhere is enriched.”

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