By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
Marlborough – Many young adults ages 16 to 21 took their first step toward entering the workforce April 10 by attending the 12th annual Teen Job Fair at the Pleasant Street Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest (BGCMW). Representatives from 23 employers offered applications for summer or year-round jobs.
New this year, teens could better prepare themselves earlier that week by registering for a resume and interview workshop conducted at the Marlborough Public Library. Brent DeBraga, the BGCMW teen coordinator, felt it was a successful addition.
“A lot of the students who took the workshop are here tonight with some of the skills they learned,” he said.
DeBraga was particularly encouraged by this year's response from employers.
“Every employer here is looking to fill positions,” he said. “One of them said he's looking for 50 people and they'se hoping to find as many as they can from here.”
Among those with job opportunities was Suzanne Dupre, vice president of human resources at Marlborough Savings Bank. She was impressed by the teens” preparation.
“They'se well-dressed, they'se looking us in the eye and they brought resumes,” she said. “We'se going to reach out to a handful of qualified candidates.”
Dupre noted that students are a good match for her available jobs.
“We look to fill these particular positions that we have with students because we like to have them come back,” she said. “A bulk of our coverage needs are in the summer when folks are on vacation. So it's perfect timing for high school kids out of school or college students home on their break.”
Some teens learned about working in the military from the firsthand experience of Sgt. 1st Class Miriam Collazo.
“I volunteered to be an Army recruiter because I want to tell kids about how the benefits helped me,” she said. “It helped pay for my college and my student loan. I qualified for VA loans and was able to buy a house without putting money down. I have health and dental insurance for myself and my children. And I's able to go to college for my master's degree.”
DeBraga is planning to offer the job-seekers another interview workshop soon.
“I never had the opportunity to go to a job fair when I was 16, so I wasn's prepared,” he said. “They'se getting a lot of good information and building confidence to apply for work.”