There is finally a hint in the weather that summer might actually come again. And as the season change approaches, now is a great time to consider whether your business might benefit from having a young person help out for the summer. There are two great ways to pursue this idea, and its many benefits:

STEP-Up is a City of Minneapolis program that trains potential interns ages 14-21 and connects them with employers who best fit their skills and interests. Our February member meeting will feature a brief presentation and a future article will give you more details on this program. You can find the brochure for business owners online here.

Another opportunity to connect with local young people is slated for Saturday, April 26 at the Minneapolis Central Library. It’s called the Teen Job Fair – last year over 1000 people attended, and businesses shared job opportunities by setting up in a free booth – s0me businesses go as far as conducting interviews right at the job fair.

Anne Johnson, who manages STEP-Up interns for the Seward Coop, reported at our February meeting that three of the four interns she’s hired through this program have actually stayed on as permanent part time staff. The co-op plans to participate in the program again this summer.

If you think you could use some extra help and would be interested in having the energy and fresh perspective of a teen at your company this summer, this could be a great opportunity to meet many go-getter young people in a short time. If you’d be interested in having applications for your organization available at an SCCA sponsored/staffed booth, let us know – if we have enough interest, we’ll put together a table for members to share. Get more info here.