Adults have jobs and make money so they can live and provide for future children, who don’t really work and get jobs. Teens, in between kid and adult, are encouraged to find jobs and opportunities for real-world experiences as they grow up.
The Belmont Library facilitated these aims by hosting its second annual Teen Job and Volunteer Fair on April 19. They included over 24 venues and more than 200 students showed up looking for job opportunities.
According to Kayla Marie Figard, the teen services librarian at the Belmont Library, the fair was designed to help students find more opportunities for jobs nearby in the area.
“Teens are always looking to find jobs to get money, and there’s a lot of local jobs and organizations they can work with,” Figard said.
With so many venues in one place, numerous teens found it easy to find more resources.
“I think this is helpful [for teens and students] because many of us don’t know where to find jobs and internships,” said Sydney Bishop, a freshman who attended the fair. “I also think it’s helpful because I get to have an idea of what is available to me during the summer.”
Facilitators were aware of these benefits.
“This is beneficial to teens because they get more chances to look at all the jobs, internships, and resources available to them,” Figard said. “This is also beneficial to businesses because they get to have direct contact with the teens.”
Though some venues offered jobs that were only available for students older than 18, younger students still had the opportunity to find internships with the same businesses, or find jobs offered by other venues.
“We offer jobs for students who are at least 18 years old, but other students who are younger can still volunteer with us,” said Roxy Rentschler, a representative for Steve and Kate’s Camp at the fair.
Overall, both the teens and the vendors thought that this was a good opportunity to find resources and build connections with others.
“Teens get to explore and find the different jobs they can find in the area and in the community,” Figard said. “It’s also helpful because they get to gain job skills.”
The Teen Job and Volunteer Fair is hosted annually by the Belmont Library so students who did not attend this year have the opportunity to check it out next year.
