Seasonal jobs a plus for students

As April comes to a close so will classes at most post-secondary institutions across the country.
To the joy of most mothers out there, their “babies” are probably coming home for the summer from university. Also to the joy of employers in the area students are coming home for the summer.
According to Janet Egan Plumridge, executive director at NCDS Career Works here, seasonal work benefits the students.
“Our local economy is a seasonal one,” she said. “That’s good for students.”
One of the larger employers of students in the area is the town of Fort Frances, which hires 15-20 students each summer for jobs ranging from general labour in parks and cemeteries to summer programs at the Memorial Sports Centre.
“Our ability to provide additional services and up keep our parks and cemeteries [relies on summer employment],” said Christine Ruppenstein, Human Resources Manager for the town. “Students make up a large portion of the labour for our parks and help provide programming over the summer months.
“The students we hire early are university or college students,” she continued, noting that the first group of student labourers that have been hired start next Monday.
She indicated that high school students are also hired in late June for a variety of positions. Currently the town is in the process of hiring university students.
The town applies for grant money from sources such as the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, she explained, that helps to save money by subsidizing a portion of the student’s salary.
Though the town does most of its summer employment fulfillment independently by running ads and by word of mouth, local employers who wish to take advantage of hiring summer help from the pool of students can contact a couple of local agencies that help students find jobs, including NCDS Career Works.
Plumridge said currently there are about 40 employers seeking summer help who have applied to be matched with a student through NCDS. On the other side, there are nearly 60 students who are seeking summer employment.
“It’s maybe a little slower,” she said of the number of students they have thus far, though she expects the numbers to climb as students begin to return home.
She said that they will match students with employers according to interests, not just a matter of filling holes.
“We try to make it based on people,” she added.
NCDS also has the ability to subsidize some employers toward the wage of their summer help. Some conditions apply, but up to 60 percent of those being subsidized can also be employers who already have a student in mind to hire and would benefit from the subsidy.
“Forty percent of our subsidies have to go to students who don’t already have a job,” she explained, noting that some of that will probably go to high school students too.
Anyone interested in being hired as a summer student or looking to hire a summer student should contact NCDS (274-2282) or Human Resources Development Canada (274-5307).
HRDC indicated yesterday that their student office here will be opening in the next couple of weeks.