Students Learn Job-Hunting Skills

High school students got a real-world lesson in finding a job Friday.

The students, who attend Fayetteville High School's Agee-Lierly Life Preparation Services Center for alternative education, met with representatives from more than two dozen businesses during the Chamber of Commerce’s annual job expo at the GuestHouse International Hotel.

Employment data indicates young job seekers’ prospects are better than in recent years, but work can still be hard to find for students graduating from high school and college.

Arkansas’ average unemployment rate for residents 16 to 19 years old was 26 percent in 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rate for those 20 to 24 was 14 percent last year.

Both figures were lower than in 2011 and 2010, but well above the state’s 7.3 percent overall jobless rate last year. Average unemployment in Fayetteville was 5.6 percent.

Several students who attended the job expo work part time. For them, the event was a chance to learn about other job opportunities.

Fernando Gallardo, a senior, said he wants to become a chef. Gallardo has been working at a Burger King to save money. He said he’ll start applying to other restaurants or seek admission to NorthWest Arkansas Community College’s culinary arts and hospitality management program.

“When you have the passion for food, you can do anything,” Gallardo said.

For Colt Phillips, the future is less clear.

“I’ll take anything I can get my hands on really,” Phillips said. The high school sophomore expressed some interest in becoming a firefighter, but he’ll have to wait until he’s 21 to be hired by the Fayetteville Fire Department.

Capt. Bailey Kelly handed out brochures Friday letting students know what they can do to prepare themselves for a firefighting career. The city requires applicants to have emergency medical technician or International Fire Service Accreditation Congress training, both of which students can receive at a number of institutions in Arkansas, including NorthWest Arkansas Community College.

“You get a lot of kids who think college might not be right for them,” Kelly said. “This gives them another career option.”

Wani Faulkner, human resources administrator at Arvest Bank, was looking for part-time bank tellers Friday. Faulkner said the minimum qualification for tellers is a high school diploma, but, she added, six months of cash-handling experience is preferred.

“We want someone who’s really outgoing and willing to learn,” Faulkner said.

Andrew Milburn, a math teacher at the Agee-Lierly center, said the annual chamber event, more than anything else, is intended to teach students basic job-hunting skills.

“Mainly, it’s being positive and selling themselves,” Milburn said. “They need to show a sense of confidence that they can portray to prospective employers.”