Economy is not down for tribal youth this summer thanks to stimulus funds

By Lailani Upham

Summer youth employment applicants wait in between speakers during the job fair at Two Eagle River school. CSKT Tribal Chairman James Steele, Jr., spoke to the students on tribal history including a quick overview on economic development projects the Tribes are currently working on. (Lailani Upham photo)

PABLO — There was a close call at last week’s Summer Youth Employment Career Fair, the money was in DHRD’s purse, but not enough jobs to go around for every student.

The Department of Human Resources Department (DHRD) staff turned the situation around.

How’d it happen?

It only took a few calls out to tribal departments with the need and the jobs began to surface. “You know how Indian people are, they are so good - you just put the call out there and they always come through,” said WIA Coordinator Anita Whitworth, who was pleased at the end of the day outcome.

Stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Investment Act was granted to CSKT DHRD Summer Youth Employment services this year and allowed these additional funds to put everyone to work.

Last year 77 kids were funded to work in tribal departments and local businesses. “There have been some years we had to turn kids away and it’s always a sad thing,” said Whitworth. This year the number of students hired almost doubled because of the stimulus funding according to DHRD Summer Youth Career Track Coordinator, Renee Pierre.

The summer youth program is designed to give young people the opportunity to work and experience various fields, according to DHRD Director Arlene Templer. She adds working different positions each summer allows a student to concentrate on what they might want to study in college. Templer impressed to the students that they were now starting their reputations as potential employees.

TERS gym had stations set up from north to south with tribal programs and tribal businesses conducting interviews with young folks. The bleachers were filled with many first-timers, not sure what to expect, yet ready, excited, willing and eager to work. Ronan freshman Whisper Ivins applied for five positions by early afternoon. “I’m just excited to get a job,” she mentioned. Ivins’ first choice opportunity was to work with the SKC Athletic Department. “I love kids,” she says, is what drew her to the particular position, in addition to the basketball aspect of the Athletic Activity Assistant.

Cleo Kenmille, Registrar at SKC enrollment services interviews Arlee High School freshman Kristyn Adams at the tail-end of the job fair. Adams said out all the five positions signed up for, she hopes to work with SKC enrollment services this summer. (Lailani Upham photo)

SKC’s Athletic Assistant was one of the popular stations with 23 already on the sheet by lunch. The job gives the students an opportunity to help with youth basketball on top of having the open gym during their free time to shoot around, according to SKC Division of Student Life Coordinator Juan Perez. He also included that SKC splits the work schedules with the SKC Math Science camp. “We do what we can to teach life skills to the young adults,” says Perez.

DHRD and Salish Kootenai College Math Science camp teamed up, so students can work and attend the camp. Youth will be paid for a full 40-hour week to allow for both education and employment opportunities this summer. “We try to work with the work leaders, so they know the kids are at our place,” said Chris Strom SKC Math Science camp director.

SKC received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to work with the Tribes and put on the Math Science summer program.

Arleen Adams with Foster Funeral Home said this is the fifth year working with the summer youth.

Students circled Foster’s table giving second thoughts when passing by, but the funeral home received a good amount of sign ups for the four positions open for the summer. “There was one year the ones that were there, would sit out on the steps and wouldn’t come in the building, ‘til we’d get there. Then they’d go right to the office - straight to the computer,” Adams said. “They wouldn’t go to the bathroom ‘til someone went downstairs either,” she said with a chuckle and a smile. Adams remains sensitive of how the students may feel about working at a funeral home and adds, “We need the support of their parents,” to keep the youngsters working. The open positions are for office and lawn work only, she explained.

Regardless of the positions, teens were out and about table-hopping, searching for jobs. First time applicant Joe O’Donnell, a sophomore said he stopped counting how many stations he signed up at, he added, “I just want a job.”

One of the extremely popular work sites of all was - the People’s Center. Marie Torosian of the People’s Center said there were four positions: two in the museum and two in gift shop. “We look at how the students present themselves,” said Torosian. She mentioned the applicants would need to make the people feel welcome since the majority of the job is working with tourists along with presentations.

Jim Clairmont, CSKT night-shift maintenance supervisor, was getting through the interviews rather effectively considering this was his usual sleep time hours. Clairmont’s department plans were to hire a dozen students to work the night shift cleaning buildings. He explained they would get rides to assigned buildings. Clairmont added, “Instead of working the 5:30 to 3:30 am shift as the normal-shift, the youth would work from 2 pm to 10 pm.”

Ninth grader Will Stevens took his shot at an interview with Clairmont. Stevens shared his thoughts: “this one - it seems pretty cool.” Another first timer, Stevens adds as well, he simply wanted to get a job.

Law Office Administrator for the Tribal Prosecutor’s Office, Billie Hartung, had a dozen interested in the secretary file clerk position. Not only will the student be filing and answering phones, the hired student will also have the opportunity to learn legal procedures. Hartung includes the job allows the student to gain experience in basic legal documentation, how the criminal system works and how a legal office operates.

There were 188 students who applied for this year’s summer employment.