Published by The Boston Globe
By Kathleen Burge and Katrina Ballard
Nicole Culcasi and Danika Mason began their summer job search in the dead of winter, trekking store by store through the Natick Collection. The 17-year-olds left the mall with nearly two dozen applications and high hopes.
But after receiving no calls or interviews, their optimism began to dwindle.
“After 23 applications collectively, it kind of gets annoying,’’ said Mason, who attends Framingham High School with Culcasi.
Culcasi eventually landed a job at a Staples Inc. store in Framingham, and Mason found limited hours at Paint-n-Party in Holliston, helping to run birthday parties. But they came away with a valuable lesson in economics.
Many teenagers looking for work this summer have found jobs elusive, as the state unemployment rate hovers near 9 percent, and less federal and state money is available for jobs programs than last year. Some teens find themselves competing for jobs with out-of-work adults who have much more experience.
“Privately funded, unsubsidized em ployment has been — I can’t use a strong enough word — eviscerated,’’ said Jeffrey Turgeon, executive director of the Central Massachusetts Regional Employment Board, a public-private partnership that connects employers and employees.
And he sees complications extending beyond a lack of spending money this summer: “The less young people have the opportunity to experience work, the less likely they are to be successful starting a career later on.’’
Walter Walsh, owner of Black Cow Homemade Ice Cream shops in Millis and Natick, said he had more than 175 applicants vying for the five openings he had this summer.
Last year, he heard from about 80 job-seekers, Walsh said, and before that the number was typically closer to 60.
“I couldn’t believe how many kids came out of the woodwork looking for jobs this year,’’ he said.
Walsh sees teens seeking work because their parents aren’t able to give them as much money.
“They can see these are tougher times,’’ Walsh said.
“Parents were giving kids pretty good allowances. Now they don’t have the extra cash.’’
Margo Deane, executive director of the Framingham Coalition, a nonprofit community organization, said she saw more young people than ever apply for a summer jobs program funded by a federal grant.
This year, the program is full, with 50 youths ages 14 to 16 doing landscaping work around town 20 hours a week for the minimum wage, she said.
“For the first time, we really have a wait list,’’ she said.
More than 400 teens are on the waiting list for summer jobs offered through the Central Massachusetts Regional Employment Board, which serves 38 communities including Boylston, Shrewsbury, Upton, Northborough, Westborough, and Milford. Others have inquired but decided not to apply because the list is so long, Turgeon said.
“The need is so great right now, and the opportunity is so limited, it’s a real challenge,’’ he said.
The agency is offering about 850 jobs for teens this summer through various funding sources, including YouthWorks, a state program that provides employment for low-income, at-risk young people.
The youngest teenagers looking for work are in the most difficult position, Turgeon said. Adults who have been laid off or are looking for extra money are taking some jobs that normally might go to older youths.
And then the older teens take jobs that previously might have gone to their younger counterparts.
“They’re really out of luck,’’ Turgeon said. “Everything’s rolling downhill.’’
Kelly Hoar is a career specialist at the Future Skills Institute, a regional employment project based in Framingham, where she helps run programs for youths 16 and older.
This year, she said, she has been seeing younger teenagers lining up for work.
“We’re seeing a lot of kids under 16, so many younger kids looking to help out their families,’’ she said.
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