With the job market being bleaker than it has been in more than 60 years, adults had to compete for many of the jobs teenagers were seeking. This caused Obama's economic stimulus program to find summer jobs for 17 year olds and teenagers to fail.
A Labor Department official stated that they are still working out kinks in the program. However, they feel that even though not all participants got jobs, the program was successful in helping America's youth build valuable professional skills that will help them in the future, as well as help the national economy.
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the people who qualified for this one-time program were between the ages of 14-24 years and from families living at or below the established poverty line. There were some people in this age bracket that also qualified under other income criteria.
This program encouraged states to use federal money to provide summer jobs to the participants. States could also use this money for year-round programs for youth. According to the Associated Press review of government data and individual state reports, almost 25% of the 297,169 youth in this job program worth $1.2 billion did not get jobs. This was because of the many adults who flooded the job market seeking similar low-wage positions at places like hamburger stands and community pools.
On Wednesday, Congressional auditors warned that because of the government's way of measuring the success of this federal program were so haphazard, they "may reveal little about what the program achieved." As a matter of fact, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office, many government officials, government employees, and program participants feel this program was a success.
Laura Chick, the appointed inspector general of California's stimulus funds states said, "There are so many passthroughs before this program actually turns into money that helps the population it's intended to help that it's almost criminal." She goes on to say, "If the local board isn't watching what they're doing, even less money is getting to where it's supposed to go, especially if it is being siphoned off to pay for administrative expenses."
When the summer program ends later this year, states will not have to actually show how many teens were able to get jobs. According to the Department of Labor, the only requirement a state has to meet is showing that graduates of the program are more "workforce ready," which each state arbitrarily measures for itself.
WHERE TO FIND JOBS FOR 17 YEAR OLDS
Updated 8/11/2014 - The great thing about jobs for 17 year olds is that you are now old enough to do most types of jobs. Only work that is deemed hazardous is off limits. Unlike the limitations on hours and other things for younger teenage workers, there are few jobs that seventeen year olds are now allowed to do. Listed below are some of the steps you can take to give yourself the best chance of getting hired:
Step #1
The first thing you can do is to go online and see what is available. The two websites listed below are all free to join and they can be used to find employers who are hiring in your area. If you have a resume (see step #2), you can submit it and then employers can see it and may contact you. Many employers now find all or most of their new employees online so you need to be actively searching at these three job search sites:
Snagajob – 100% free to sign up and they specialize in part time and hourly jobs. These are often exactly what a 17 year old is looking for.
Monster.com – 100% free to sign up and they have one of the biggest online job databases.
Step #2
At age seventeen, you should start to put together a resume even if you don't have too much job experience. If you have a resume to give prospective employers and submit online to the job sites, you will be a step ahead of many of your peers who are also looking for work. You can put down all the jobs you have had as well as any awards you might have won and any volunteer work you do. Even though you might not have much on your resume, just having one tells an employer that you are thinking towards the future and that is a good thing.
Step #3
If you have friends who have jobs, you should try to find out from them whether they like their jobs and whether there are any job openings. You should get all the information they can give you and perhaps even have them put in a good word for you. Use any friends and contacts you have to the best of your ability to give yourself the best chance of landing a job.
Step #4
Lastly, you should take your job search out on foot and scour your area for openings. You might stop in at all the places you might like to work and inquire about the possibility of getting hired. If you personally go in an introduce yourself, you will have the chance to make a good impression and let someone actually see who you are. If you don't have too high expectations and understand that you will face rejection, you will at least be able to find out first hand what jobs are available and what their requirements are. Managers and employers also like teens who take the initiative to come in and introduce themselves. If you have a resume you should drop it off at this time. You never know, if you make a good impression, when a job opening does come up the employer might just remember you and give you a call.
Step #1
The first thing you can do is to go online and see what is available. The two websites listed below are all free to join and they can be used to find employers who are hiring in your area. If you have a resume (see step #2), you can submit it and then employers can see it and may contact you. Many employers now find all or most of their new employees online so you need to be actively searching at these three job search sites:
Snagajob – 100% free to sign up and they specialize in part time and hourly jobs. These are often exactly what a 17 year old is looking for.
Monster.com – 100% free to sign up and they have one of the biggest online job databases.
Step #2
At age seventeen, you should start to put together a resume even if you don't have too much job experience. If you have a resume to give prospective employers and submit online to the job sites, you will be a step ahead of many of your peers who are also looking for work. You can put down all the jobs you have had as well as any awards you might have won and any volunteer work you do. Even though you might not have much on your resume, just having one tells an employer that you are thinking towards the future and that is a good thing.
Step #3
If you have friends who have jobs, you should try to find out from them whether they like their jobs and whether there are any job openings. You should get all the information they can give you and perhaps even have them put in a good word for you. Use any friends and contacts you have to the best of your ability to give yourself the best chance of landing a job.
Step #4
Lastly, you should take your job search out on foot and scour your area for openings. You might stop in at all the places you might like to work and inquire about the possibility of getting hired. If you personally go in an introduce yourself, you will have the chance to make a good impression and let someone actually see who you are. If you don't have too high expectations and understand that you will face rejection, you will at least be able to find out first hand what jobs are available and what their requirements are. Managers and employers also like teens who take the initiative to come in and introduce themselves. If you have a resume you should drop it off at this time. You never know, if you make a good impression, when a job opening does come up the employer might just remember you and give you a call.
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