It’s a bright spring day. The air smells of paper, laminated posters, and freshly wiped down tables. People pass through the library entrance and wait for the double doors to open to a new opportunity and experience for every teen in Belmont.
As the doors open, a medley of booths await. The Jobs Fair is officially open, and people are pouring in.
“I’m really surprised at how great a turnout it was,” said Teen Center Librarian and Fair Coordinator Kayla Figard. “I’m hoping half of them get hired as a volunteer or as an employee, and the other half at least know what to expect when they apply for other jobs or go to another jobs fair.”
An estimate of 150 teenagers came to the fair to seek out job, health, community, and volunteer opportunities to join the 20 organizations that were offering work. Stores and restaurants like Jamba Juice, Waterdog Tavern, Safeway, Peet’s Coffee, Hobees, and Menchies displayed their posters proudly. Various camp counseling and community jobs were offered at Highlands Aquatic Center, Camp Galileo, Bay Club, Belmont Parks and Recreation Department, Legarza Sports, and Camp Edmo.
“There’s a few for convenience stores and a few for sports camps that I’m really interested in,” said sophomore Giovanni Smith as he finished an application to Camp Galileo. “I wouldn’t know some of these places were accepting jobs if it wasn’t for the library job fair.”
Volunteer groups were present as well. The PHS/SPCA , Silverado Hills Senior Home, and Belmont Library eagerly looked for teenagers to give back to their community without the need for money.
“If I wasn’t already volunteering at the library I would have checked out the other sites,” said sophomore David Koons.
The entirety of the Jobs Fair was geared towards teenagers in more ways than one. While exposure to jobs and getting employed was a large part of the fair, there were other aspects presented as well.
Resource centers from the San Mateo Credit Union, College of San Mateo, and San Mateo County Jobs for Youth provided support for financial, college, and other job opportunities. Health organizations like the StarVista Crisis Center & Hotline and Wellness Advisory Committee as well as an LGBTQ+ program called Outlet was available for teenagers to discover and possibly use in the future.
“When I was a teen there was nothing like this for me,” said Figard. “I wish I had something like this in the past, because there’s something for everyone here.”
