Job Fair for 16-24 Age Group on May 5th

From the Starbuck's newsroom: 

Coalition of 40 Top U.S. Companies Set to Launch Long-Term Hiring Effort in Seattle to Bring Jobs to Opportunity Youth – 16- to 24-Year-Olds Who Are Not in School or Employed

Hundreds of Interviews and On-the-Spot Job Offers Available at Free Hiring Event at CenturyLink Field Event Center May 5 from 9 am to 4 pm.

Building on Similar Events in Chicago, Phoenix and Los Angeles, the Initiative is Part of a National Employer-Led Push to Hire at Least 100,000 Opportunity Youth by 2018

America’s Largest Employer-Led Coalition for Opportunity Youth Welcomes Accenture, Leisure Care, Panda Express, Services Group of America and Ulta Beauty as Newest Members

Interested candidates are invited to register for free and pre-schedule their interviews for the May 5 hiring event at www.100kOpportunities.org/Seattle. Lyft, a member of the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, will provide free rides up to $50 for candidates who are new Lyft passengers to help them easily access transportation to and from the event. Youth will also have access to more than 30 vital employment, educational and social services, including one-on-one resume and interview coaching; access to high school and equivalency through admissions to programs at the University of Washington; opportunities for civic engagement like voter registration and national service; the chance to build an online profile with LinkedIn’s experts; and more.

The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative’s work in Seattle will build on the success of similar hiring efforts in Chicago, Phoenix and Los Angeles. To date, more than 25,000 youth have found jobs, internships or higher education opportunities through the participating companies, of which 2,300 received on-the spot offers at the three hiring fairs. The coalition will look to host more than 1,500 youth at the Seattle Opportunity Fair May 5. Participating companies expect to make hundreds of immediate job offers, as they did in the other cities.

Comments

Andrea Leigh Ptak said…
I am bothered that in today's world 16-yr-olds can still quit high school. It was one thing when there were family farms and factory jobs awaiting, but now it seems almost criminal to let a child make such a life-changing decision.

Thus, it bothers me that Starbucks and the other 40 companies are making it easier for these kids to find jobs—minimum wage, I'm sure, and possibly taking a job away from an adult.

NOTE: The info makes a point that the youth should NOT be in school: Coalition of 40 Top U.S. Companies Set to Launch Long-Term Hiring Effort in Seattle to Bring Jobs to Opportunity Youth – 16- to 24-Year-Olds Who Are Not in School or Employed

Does this bother anyone else, or am I alone here?
5/2/16, 5:54 PM
Unknown said…
Andrea, sometimes school environments are really unhealthy for teens. I currently just graduated using the GED path and it was amazing for me. It all depends for person. Don't think about it as "quitting" school, it should be seen as an alternate route.
It's not taking a job, it's giving a new opportunity to someone that doesn't have one. Thought we don't want kids to be taken advantage of, we do want them to have good life experiences.
If a 16 year old isn't going to school, it's good that they are getting life skills and contributing to the community!
I don't think you are the only one opinion, but I hope this helps you see the other side a little more!
5/2/16, 6:34 PM
Andrea Leigh Ptak said…
I'm glad it worked well for you Rhiannon. You sound like an amazing young woman. But I wonder if you are the exception rather than the rule. My own family has members who dropped out and ended up having a very bad time with life. I don't think it's a one-size-fits-all scenario. I'd like to see some statistics on this.
5/2/16, 6:47 PM
Anonymous said…
@Andrea Ptak, I don't know if you're still following this thread, but I heard on KIRO radio this morning a story in which the reporter talked to both youth and some of the business representatives. Most of the youth she spoke to are actually still in school, though not the strongest of students. They were over-the-moon thrilled to have been offered jobs, most for the first time ever.

What struck me is that the business person she spoke to said that many of the 16-24 unemployed youth are low-income and/or minority and that they're often not offered encouragement about being able to get work. He said something like, "They hear that they'll never get anywhere," and that this is the first time some of them have ever been given positive messages that they can succeed.

So no, I don't think this was a bad thing, and I don't feel that they are taking jobs from adults. Since I work with low-income minority youth, I can tell you that many of them, in or out of school, have the responsibilities of full adults, sometimes responsibilities that would crush adults with a good job or education. I'm happy to see companies willing to take a chance on some of them. Would you rather they remain unemployed and on welfare, or their struggling family go without heat, power or water? That's what some of the working teens I know are helping to provide.

Tenn Advocate
5/6/16, 9:53 AM
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