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Summer months mean summer jobs for Grandview High School students

Posted at 4:26 PM, Apr 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-18 17:57:26-04

GRANDVIEW, Mo. — With the end of the school year on the horizon, summer months can mean summer jobs for high school students.

On Thursday, tables were set up inside the gym at Grandview High School for its first-ever job fair for juniors and seniors.

"I loved it. They were so nice, they had so much information," said Knailah Britton, a junior at Grandview High School. "It was amazing. I really loved it."

A local nonprofit, Caring for Kids KC, put the job fair together. The organization works with several schools throughout the Kansas City metro area with a focus on student needs.

"They're all just wanting to offer what the kids need, so maybe you do just need something for the summer, but maybe you really are looking to start your career," said Porsche Seals, partnership director of Caring for Kids KC.

The goal of the job fair is to get students talking with local employers while learning which jobs might be a good fit for them.

"I'm thinking wow, if I don't work at a fast food place, I'm not working until I'm 18," said junior Brandon Butler. "But seeing all these other career options that I could do right now really opened up the world for me."

In all, 16 employers attended the job fair, including the Kansas City Zoo, Worlds of Fun, the U.S. National Guard, Grandview Parks and Recreation and more.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment typically rises for 16- to 19-year-olds during the summer months, but over the last decade, the number of working teens has dropped.

The need for students at Grandview High School to have a job is growing.

"Some of these kids are actually helping parents or they're trying to fight homelessness for themselves," Seals said.

The school plans to continue the job fair in the future, giving lowerclassmen something to look forward to in their junior and senior years.