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Ready or not, teens go to Job Fair Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Job searchers from Crater High School, in the foreground from the left, Tracie Barlow, Trever Westfall and Mike Marlow, work on job applications while, from left in the background, Crossroads freshman Dustin Willis, his mother Sue and sister Stephanie work with Job Council representative Becky Aeschbacher during an afternoon job fair Wednesday at Rogue Valley Mall. Organizer says kids need to understand value of experience By SHARI DOWNHILL Carefully coiffed or profusely pierced, about 200 teenagers showed up during the first hour of the Youth Job Fair held in the Education and Resource Center at Rogue Valley Mall Wednesday. A brainchild of the Youth Council and sponsored by parent agency Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council, the job fair gave the committed or simply curious a chance to apply for work with about 13 area employers. The job fair drew mixed reviews from those attending. Grants Pass plans job fair for May 12 The Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Southern Oregon Job Opportunity Fair on Saturday, May 12, at the Grants Pass High School Commons. The job fair�s morning session from 9 a.m. to noon is designed for teenagers 14 to 19. An afternoon session from 1 to 5 p.m. is targeted for adults. A few of the companies planning to attend are: Hyundai Semiconductor America, of Eugene, Grayback Forestry, Great Pacific Trading Co., AMR Ambulance and Royal Gardens Nursing Home. For more information on either attending the job fair as a job seeker or to arrange representation as an employer, call Dwight Ellis of the Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce at 476-7717. Many teenagers came prepared with neatly typed resumes, professional dress and spotless manners. Others didn�t. Jennifer Kelley, 14, of Central Point, waited patiently for Rogue Valley Manor representative Teri Terrill to answer her questions about potential work. The Scenic Middle School student found herself at Rogue Valley Manor�s information table because the company was one of only two employers with openings for 14- and 15-year-olds. "I guess I was pretty nervous because I didn�t know I was coming until this morning," Jennifer said. Handing her application to Terrill, Jennifer shook her head when asked if she had worked at any other job before. After a few questions, Terrill discovered Jennifer volunteers as a companion at Hearthstone and the "work experience" is quickly added to her application. "I�m for this," said Jennifer�s mother, Carol. "It teaches her responsibility and she has a goal for her money. Even if nothing comes from this, she�ll know what it�s like to fill out an application. I just wish they had more opportunities for 14-year-olds. "A lot of times, they don�t think they have experience, but they do," Terrill says. "They just need to think of it that way." Rogue Valley Manor is a leader in terms of recruiting, grooming and training young workers, Terrill adds. It aggressively strives to build its own well-trained and faithful workforce by offering such perks as leaves of absence for sporting seasons, academic financial assistance and jobs when students return from school. Many hopeful workers wanted to see a wider variety of employers represented. Others wanted to skip past the normal selection of entry-level jobs in fast food or other service-related work to land their dream career. Much of the disappointment, says event organizer Dennis Alexander, comes from unrealistic expectations of young people who have never worked before. "When you start, you have a narrow beginning point," Alexander says. "It�s a stepping stone to other things. Many of those things you do at first may not be the things you like. But they�ll lead you to other things." "The issue I sense is that there is still so much education kids need about work and their expectations," he adds. "When you don�t have any experience, you don�t have a frame of reference." Areas of particular opportunity in today�s employment landscape include caregiving and health services of any kind, Alexander says. Teenagers without any work experience should also not ignore fast-food jobs that stress customer-service skills. The Forest Service and concession services Crater Lake Co. offer summer jobs with outdoor appeal to those at least 18 years old. The Job Council, which serves both Jackson and Josephine counties, hires from 200 to 250 teenagers each summer for various outplacement positions, including 14- and 15-year-olds. Assistance availability is based on family income guidelines. Reach reporter Shari Downhill at 776-4463, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.