Teenagers toil: No work and no pay makes Johnny a dull boy
VIRGINIA AVENUE PARK — While they could have been cruising the promenade or relaxing at the beach, Sasha Tirado and Gabby Bildibia decided to come here and look for summer jobs.
“We need the money,” said Bildibia, 15, as she and Tirado, 16, stood outside the teen center, where youth can meet with counselors to help them write résumés, prepare for job interviews or sign up for summer programs like free salsa dance classes, cultural arts workshops and field trips to the Getty Villa and Watts Towers.
“My mom was telling me, ‘Girl, your clothes are getting expensive. You’re getting expensive. Get a job,” Tirado said laughing. “She’s right. We have cell phone bills. We want to buy clothes,and I like to get my nails done.”
Money isn’t the only reason the two Pico Neighborhood teens are seeking employment. The two said they desire the experience that comes with holding down a steady job, even if that means working fast food, at the local bowling alleys or at retail stores in Santa Monica Place.
“Most of our friends are working already,” said Bildibia, who along with Tirado interviewed at a local bowling alley, but decided to keep looking elsewhere.
“Those who aren’t are lazy, sitting at home watching TV,” Tirado added. “Those who aren’t working don’t have any money to do anything anyway, so we thought we might as well work. The resources are here. Why not use them?”
Economists are predicting teens will have no trouble finding employment during the summer months — even those who are just now starting to apply — because businesses are looking to add employees to their work-force, which includes plenty of internships as well.
Jack Kyser, the chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., and long considered the guru of the local economy, said Santa Monica will be a great place for teens to seek employment as tourism seems to be booming thanks to a weak U.S. dollar, which attracts tourists from overseas. Kyser said teens should look to hotels and businesses affiliated with beach activities for job opportunities, not to mention the traditional venues such as movie theaters, fast food restaurants, grocery stores and retail.
“I think the buzz is back about traveling to Southern California, and Santa Monica is certainly a popular destination,” Kyser said. “There are going to be a lot of opportunities out there.”
When Will Crishon isn’t beating police officers from the Youth Services Division in a game of pool at the teen center, the 16-year-old can most likely be found working at his new job at Playland Arcade at the pier.
When talking about his new gig with police and staff at the teen center, Crishon appeared proud of his position at the arcade and the fact that he was hired right after filing his application — the result of being polite and respectful to management.
“It’s nice have a job,” Crishon said, even though it takes him away from his friends for about 40 hours a week. “You get a little money in your pocket and it’s just good to stay busy, you know, stay occupied.”
Ricardo Nunez, 17, who has been working at Vons bagging groceries, said he’s been working for the last two years because it’s a way to keep him out of trouble.
“It’s a lot of work, 40 hours a week, but its cool,” Nunez said. “I’m not running around on the streets.”
With schools closing earlier this week, thousands of teens and their younger siblings will have many opportunities to get into trouble, said Oscar de la Torre, director of the Pico Youth & Family Center, which offers free summer programs to keep teens away from negative influences that can take hold when there is no supervision.
“In Santa Monica, there are a lot of kids coming from other areas outside of the city and that can cause issues of youth violence,” de la Torre said. “Law enforcement has to be very vigilant, particularly in the evenings around the pier and the promenade and young people need to be aware of who they are hanging around with.” de la Torre said the main thing is for kids to stay busy, either through employment, enrollment in summer programs “or catching up on their reading.”
“My best recommendation is to read a book,” de la Torre said.
While jobs may be available, kids still have to be motivated and be prepared to work hard to find the right place for them.
Some resources available include job counseling at Virginia Avenue Park, which includes job placement through Jewish Vocational Services. The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce is also a resource, as it is working with City Hall on linking teens with local businesses.
The chamber, in conjunction with City Hall and the school district, held a job fair earlier this year at Santa Monica High School, where many students were able to find jobs, said Betty Macias, the director of Virginia Avenue Park. The chamber and City Hall are currently following up with youth who attended the job fair to see how many have received jobs.
City Hall also provides listings of positions with the city. As of Thursday, City Hall was still looking for part-time workers to fill three positions, including junior lifeguard, police cadet and video intern — each ranging in pay from $6.75 an hour to $11.50 an hour. These are part-time, entry level positions that would be ideal for teens.
Chris Dale, the human resources manager at Pacific Park, said he is looking to hire anywhere from 200 to 400 people to help operate rides, games and food service stations at the amusement park. Pacific Park participated in the Samohi job fair and has done its own outreach to schools in Santa Monica and elsewhere looking for youth to fill positions created during the busy summer months. And this summer is shaping up to be a good one. Dale said.
“We’ve definitely seen a huge increase this summer,” he said. “The positions we need filled are perfect for students just starting out because they offer a fun place to work. We’re near the beach, near many of their friends and it’s just a great opportunity to take part in the fun of the summer season.”
Those who are not old enough to work, or are looking to let loose now that school’s out, can still enroll in summer camps or participate in weekly classes at city facilities or private organizations.
The Police Activities League, or PAL, offers free boxing classes, cardio training and other physical fitness classes at Virginia Avenue Park. PAL also takes kids on field trips to amusement parks, hosts computer classes, basketball and origami.
“There’s a whole diatribe as to why kids should be working or involved in something,” said Patty Loggins-Tazi, director of PAL. “The more busy kids are, the less time they have to get into trouble. And that goes for us adults too.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 30, 2006. Read the original PDF.