For lots of people, learning basic work skills — showing up on time, following directions, completing tasks — began with a summer job as a teenager.
But many traditional summer jobs for teens, such as lawn mowing and restaurant work, have dried up in recent years. Only about one-third of teens ages 16 to 19 are expected to find work this summer, the lowest share in half a century. And the percentages are even lower for minority African-American and Hispanic youths.
This is a trend that should concern not only parents but Wichita’s civic and business leaders. We need to make sure that our teens are being connected to job, internship and volunteer opportunities.
Consider giving a teen a chance to work, learn and earn some money. It’s an investment in our city’s future.
29 Comments
Work? Free time? I think all parents would like work much better. Free time can, and does in many cases, lead to kids getting in trouble. Learning a good work ethic=better citizens. No brainer.
If you can find a kid who wants to work, sure. From what I’ve seen, many of them don’t even know what a work ethic is…maybe they’re just following their parent’s example?
“Only about one-third of teens ages 16 to 19 are expected to find work this summer, the lowest share in half a century.”
Hum…I wonder if that has anything to do with higher and higher minimum hourly wage rates than become too high for employers to ‘give’ jobs to youth that may not be functional or efficient in their work as yet.
These employers are NOT running social entitlement programs, they must have cost effective workers.
I’m not being critical of the kids at all, simply realistic about wages and productivity and a businesses survival.
Could “attitude” have anything to do with it? I had a “salesperson” show up at my door the other night, selling discounted subscriptions to the Wichita Eagle. She was much more interested in talking on her cell phone than answering my questions. At one point I suggested she continue her call at a later time, and she got quite indignant, saying was talking to her cousin.
So, I gave her plenty of opportunity to talk with her cousin, and told her no, thanks, no sale.
Taz,
Good for you.
Do you think she might have learned anything though?
I seriously doubt it.
In my area, most of the jobs that could be available for teenagers, have been taken by Spanish speaking people. And before someone starts blasting me on this, you should drive around Garden City and see what has happened here. Spanish speaking people are given a preference when a job opens up. My grandkid applied for a job at a fast food place. He went back to check later and the job had been given to someone who could speak Spanish.
Delilah, G.C. is the looking glass of what to expect in this country if the problem isn’t taken care of.
Could illegal competition for the low wage jobs have more to do with it?
A more likely explanation is that the traditional, low paying summer jobs that teenagers used to get are now being filled by under-employed adults that cannot find work in manufacturing or other chosen fields.
As Springsteen sang in “My Hometown” “Foreman said these jobs are going, boys, and they ain’t comin’ back.”
Delilah,
The last time I was in Garden City on business I stopped to pick up some supper at the KFC. They had to call someone from the back up to take my order because everyone up front could not speak English well enough to put an order together that didn’t have a number assigned to it on the menu.
And this is the United States.
Ridiculous!
And, the elderly having get part time jobs to supplement their income because of energy and food cost escalation.
Last week a saw a man in his 40’s along with his wife both pushing lawn mowers down the street and stopping at houses to mow lawns.
I am sure that illegal immigrants are flocking to Garden City because of the beaches, palm trees and beautiful weather.
Or it could be that they know that they can find jobs because good old American businesspeople will take advantage of a workforce that can be employed at low wages without benefits.
If Americans are serious about doing something about illegal immigration, they will start with those that EMPLOY illegal workers.
Times are different. The population is more dense and people are driving faster. What does driving fast have to do with anything?
It’s the common courtesies people no longer extend. People used to slow down and wave people in traffic or across roads because they were assured other motorists around them would allow the action to happen. We can no longer do that as people in a hurry will rush right past you oblivious to the situation.
People stopped and chatted in their yards, knew their neigbors, checked in on them when they were sick and got real postal mail not email.
Which brings us to the modern age. People spend a lot of time online, including children. Video games have become a muli-billion dollar business. Having knowledge of getting to level Y in Game Z is requisite to belonging now.
People thought walking was good too. Put on the tennis shoes, flip flops or whatever, wander down the street with beverage in hand stopping along the way visiting with neighbors and even (shudder) strangers.
As we have alienated ourselves because of our hurry up society we have passed along the message to our children that society is not safe nor can people be trusted.
This works both ways. Kids can’t wander the streets looking for the odd jobs to do and people won’t answer their doors if a kid or any stranger comes along.
The barber and beauty shops were places for hangouts. Now it’s the mall or crusing the streets.
And now the most controversial part, kids think with a sense of entitlement now. They think they should garner the same wage as an adult doing the same job. Maybe they should, however, I didn’t and I got a lot more earnings by doing more for less when I was a kid.
When a kid asks for thirty dollars to mow your lawn and a professional asks the same, you have to make a decision. The professional you know will do a good job, trim edges and clean up his mess. The kid, you won’t know until the job is done and maybe he won’t edge or clean up the mess made.
Of course, when I was a kid was a long time ago. I mowed yards for 50 cents, cleaned and raked for another 50 cents. Always told the customer up front what I was going to do or could do and how much I would charge. I would let the customer inspect my work, correct anything they didn’t like.
With prices of gas, that price is not possible. However, I don’t think charging professional prices is merited either.
However, I do have a soft heart. If a kid comes a long and does a mediocre job, I’ll tell him/her and try to better next time then fix the problem myself. However, the kids never come back. There seems to be no long term commitment, like one week to the next is long?
Okay, I’m done.
(end rant)
Yes, The Eagle says, Child Labor is a Good Thing!
Anti and phantom—
I was afraid to use the word “illegal”. But now I see there are other people who realize what a problem we have here.
Sorry Eagle. We hired 3 illegals for half of what these dumb ass White kids want.
We wanted to support the Eagles Editors advice and allow more illegals in to help take care of their babies so we can have some more lawn workers and babies.
Good post, Regular…sad but true.
I call BS on kids not finding employment. I have tried the past 3 years to find a young kid to assist me with some landscaping to little avail. The first kid was lazy as all get out and after he stole something from me I told him to never step foot on my property again. The second kid showed up twice to talk about it, but wouldn’t ever come to do any actual work. I provided a detailed list of jobs I wanted help with and even suggested flexible working hours. I’m STILL looking for help, so if anyone has or knows of a kid with a good work ethic I will be glad to hire them, pick them up and take them home, feed them while they work and offer them a decent, agreed upon wage. I’m serious if you do know one.
So far all I’ve heard is chirping.
Wichiwomn–
Please don’t judge all kids by the 3 you “found”.
Delilah,
The kids I referred to were looking for work. I asked at city hall if they were aware of any kids that wanted lawn work as my town does not have a high school. In fact, the second kid was a councilman’s son who also came with him to talk about doing work. Where would you suggest I look for them? I’m all ears. I know there are good kids out there I just don’t know how to connect with one. Like I said, I am serious about hiring someone.
Kansas IS a sanctuary state. Business interests buy the Kans senate. This is only the beginning
(Hum…I wonder if that has anything to do with higher and higher minimum hourly wage rates than become too high for employers to ‘give’ jobs to youth that may not be functional or efficient in their work as yet.) IT’S ALL THE ILLEGALS, SLAP YOURSELF AND WAKE UP.
They are not only eating up all the low paying jobs. I know a white guy who was a driver for one of the cities biggest contractors. They have unlicenced illegal drivers driving their dump trucks and semi’s around, and when DOT is there, they radio them (surely in spanish) to come in the back and get away from the trucks.
I’ll donate $10 to the charity of your choice if your the 1st one to guess which company.
The same company redid a busy cross street near my house. IT DIDN’T WORK, and now that they are done, the standing water drains down into the manholes for the sewers and the pumping stations can’t keep up, so all of our basements fill up with sh!t now. NICE HUH? I flagged down a WPD officer and asked him to please stop cars from hydroplaning into it, because I was concerned one may skip into one of the houses along there, and he said “oh, we can’t, because it would require a report about it, and they don’t want any paperwork leading to this road still flooding.
NIIIIIIIIIIIICE, I just love how “moral” our fundamentalist Christian political leaders are!
Parent: “Well, we are going to have to get a second job to get that new car for little Johnny that we promise him if he got straight A’s all school year and keep away from drugs and alcohol and out of trouble.”
Teenager: “Why work when your parents will do all the work for you.”
Teenagers are not really into work these days. Most of them have very affluent parents and don’t need to work like we did in the 1970s. But I agree- the few that want to work should be able to work. And I want to say thank you to Mr Paul Sutoris who took a chance on hiring a long haired high school boy at Mr Magic Car Wash on Douglas in 1975. I worked for him during high school for almost 2 years!
Hey SEMPERFIGUY, guy I’m right there with you on that. Did you read my post about not being able to place an order at KFC in Garden City because no one up front could speak English well enough to do so unless I pointed at a number on the overhead menu?
In fact, I’m a member of the Minuteman organization although inactive except for giving a little money.
I think it shameful this country and especially this state is not doing more to protect the borders and enforce immigration and labor laws. We will lose our American culture and lifestyle if we don’t get serious and respect what we have.
You think Garden City is bad…go to Dallas. It’s like legal Americans are the minority there.
Well box, their are many good immigrants too. Elements of my own family came here in the early 1900’s, so we are fairly fresh ourselves.
If you go to the smaller agricultural areas, you will find the harder working ones migrate there (nothing is 100%). In the bigger cities, you find more of the ones wanting better criminal opportunities than what could be had in Mexico.
The problem is their kids. These stone age parents HAVE NO FUDGING CLUE what little Jose and Maria are going to be bombed with through the media, and through their peers. Current trends show the kids being pretty bad! Their parents are not as well equipted to prepare them as the white parents are.
Well box, their are many good immigrants too. Elements of my own family came here in the early 1900’s, so we are fairly fresh ourselves.
If you go to the smaller agricultural areas, you will find the harder working ones migrate there (nothing is 100%). In the bigger cities, you find more of the ones wanting better criminal opportunities than what could be had in Mexico.
The problem is their kids. These stone age parents HAVE NO FUDGING CLUE what little Jose and Maria are going to be bombed with through the media, and through their peers. Current trends show the kids being pretty bad! Their parents are not as well equipted to prepare them as the white/black parents are.
“Well box, their are many good immigrants too. Elements of my own family came here in the early 1900’s, so we are fairly fresh ourselves.”
Again, agreed. I am recent as well.
My grandfather, my Dad’s father, came over from Germany to escape the Kaiser and the coming war in Europe, later WWI.
He was denied his citizenship by a judge here because his faith and church would not allow killing, even in war. He volunteered to go in a support or medical capacity which wasn’t good enough for this judge. My Dad was the first to have U.S. citizenship. My father never knew his dad as he died when my Dad was 3 months old from the flu epidemic of 1918.
I have nothing against immigration and we need good workers for the economy, so it’s good all around, but it MUST be legal, and we must know who is coming in and in what numbers.