Lots of summer jobs available in Waterloo region, but students say they're not told about opportunities
CBC
Seeing snow on the ground may make it hard to believe, but employers are already looking ahead to the warmer months.
In Waterloo region, the cities and townships have announced they're looking for young people to fill various seasonal jobs.
The Township of Wilmot said in a press release that student job opportunities are a chance for young people to "lend their enthusiasm and skills to a wide range of meaningful activities, projects, and programs through several available employment opportunities, boosting their professional development while investing in the community and their future."
In a release from the City of Cambridge, Mayor Jan Liggett said they "value and appreciate" summer workers and the jobs "provide valuable work experience and pathways to economic opportunity, while at the same time helping us continue to offer exceptional programs and services to our community."
The City of Kitchener held a job fair last weekend at the Victoria Hills Community Centre targeted specifically to youth. Kerry Schott, a human resources associate with the city, says there are hundreds of positions available to anyone over the age of 15.
"It's a great place to work. It's great entry-level positions and there are lots of opportunities." Schott said, adding the city is hoping to fill around 300 positions at places like pools, cemeteries and camps.
She said hiring for camps is a really big need because "camps can't run without students, seasonal hires and volunteers."
Fortunately, said Schott, the city has been lucky with filling most positions but she admits it's been more difficult to get people out to job fairs in the past few months.
To create more buzz and help get the word out, Schott says the city did a "great social media push through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram ... because that's what the youth are all on."
She says it worked well and their job fair drew in around 200 students.
The city is also looking for volunteers. Schott says they accept volunteers as young as 12 to help out with different events around the city during the summer.
CBC Kitchener-Waterloo spoke to some students standing outside Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute in Kitchener to find out whether they were thinking ahead to the summer months in terms of work.
Many students say they are ready to enter the workforce but they're not too sure what kinds of opportunities are out there for them.
Grade 10 student Ahlaam Abdullah says she'd be interested in working a summer camp job or a leadership role type job.