Teens looking for jobs this summer could face the double whammy of a poor economy and competition from older people who have been laid off from their jobs.

Another consideration for employers is that the minimum wage rises from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour July 24.

But President Barack Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus package could serve to soften the blow. Locally, $1.14 million could be made available for youth employment programs.

Communities in Schools, part of the McLennan County Youth Collaboration, has set a goal of putting 300 teenagers to work for businesses in their areas of interest. They would work 24 hours a week for six weeks, making the minimum wage. Their pay would come not from the businesses but from stimulus money.

Heart of Texas Workforce Solutions is the local agency that will receive the $1.14 million in stimulus money to distribute to local youth-oriented employment organizations. It reportedly is negotiating with two groups, Texas State Technical College-Waco and Communities in Schools, on how much they will receive.

“Each wants to provide training and jobs for out-of-school youth,” said Melissa Briske, a Workforce Solutions spokeswoman.

Communities in Schools “already is in the process of recruiting businesses to take part, and we’re shooting for June 8 to get started,” executive director Doug McDurham said.

This is a program primarily for students from lower-income families. But other teenagers will crave jobs this summer.

Good luck, said Melvyn Coomber, district manager for Vector Marketing, a distributor of Cutco cutlery products.

He spoke Wednesday to a “career preparations” class at Waco High School, giving the juniors and seniors tips on good interviewing and speaking frankly about the obstacles teens will face in their job searches.

Competition ramps up

“Teens will be competing with laid-off adults. The process will be more competitive, and you need to be prepared for that,” Coomber said. “There may be a 30- to 35-year-old person wanting that lifeguard job you’re after, and he or she may have more experience.”

The Economic Policy Institute this month reports that nationwide, there are 4.8 unemployed workers for every available job.

Several business owners said the situation is not that bad in Waco and Central Texas, but the recession has not totally missed us.

For example, Keith Bush, owner of the Bush’s Chicken chain, said he probably will not hire many teenagers this summer, if any, because employment at his restaurants remains steady.

Bryanna McFarland, 17, prepares an order at the Bush's chicken restaurant at New Road and Bosque Boulevard. She is one of the fortunate teenagers to find work in a tough economy. (Jerry Larson photo)

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Waco businessman Melvyn Coomber (standing) talks with Waco High students Wednesday about interviewing techniques. His company likes to hire students right out of high school. (Jerry Larson photo)

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“In this economy, people are holding onto their jobs,” Bush said.

Mike Beheler, owner of the local Wing Stops, has a different perspective on the local teen employment scene.

“I have help-wanted signs up constantly because we struggle to keep our staff up. It’s always a challenge to find hospitality people who will treat our customers right,” Beheler said. He added he gladly will hire juniors and seniors in high school who are serious about performing well.

Leslie Lockett, a spokeswoman for the H-E-B grocery chain, said the stores will hire teens this summer.

“We rely on them for a good portion of our weekend and evening work, and we hire as young as 16 for certain positions,” Lockett said.

Karina Armenta, 17, is a Waco High School senior who already has a convenience store job. But she would like a second job during the summer to help make money for college tuition.

She listened to Coomber’s talk Wednesday and said she knows she faces an uphill battle finding more work.

“With the economic problems going on right now, I get the impression there are not a lot of places hiring,” Armenta said.

But John Morin, who owns 11 Waco-area McDonald’s, said, “We always pick up a bunch of students in the summertime, and this year will be no different. Our minimum age is 16, but if we have a good candidate who is 15 but will turn 16 before school starts, we will hire him. I can’t speak for everybody else, but the economy is doing fairly well in Texas, and I don’t look to cut back on labor as long as the summertime traffic is still there.”

City program for teens

The city of Waco has a special program for youngsters needing work this summer. It will hire 100 to 125 people to work as lifeguards, aides at the water park, zoo helpers and summer-camp staffers.

“We pay well above minimum wage,” said Sue Pfleging, city employee relations manager. Lifeguards can make $8 to $10 an hour; recreation aides, $6.75 to $12; and recreation specialists, $12 to $17 an hour. Some of these positions will be held by college students.

“If you’re interested,” Pfleging said, “come on down to the human resources office at Waco City Hall, or go to the city’s Web site at waco-texas.com.”

Waco businessman Jim Moshinskie, who has taught performance improvement classes at Baylor University, said youngsters can gain knowledge and experience in summer jobs that they can use for life.

“One of the most important things a summer job does is hone communication skills,” Moshinskie said. “Youngsters are very used to talking with each other, using slang and jargon, having a good time. But a summer job shows them another realm: work communication.”

Learning to speak appropriately to employers, co-workers and customers “is a most-important life skill,” Moshinskie said.

McDurham, with Communities in Schools, said summer jobs can serve as eye-opening experiences for teens.

“Young people working summer jobs see where people fit within an organization,” he said. “It helps them understand where you stand if you finished high school or if you have a college degree.”

He said the 300 teens who take part in the Communities in Schools program this summer will attend a job-skills program one day a week. One thing they will study is problem-solving on the job.

“Young people tend to solve problems related to their work by quitting,” McDurham said. “Instead of approaching a supervisor about taking off for, say, a family reunion, it’s easier to quit Burger King and get a job at McDonald’s when you get back. We want to teach students about their thought process and dealing with stressful situations.”

On Tuesday, Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas will sponsor a job fair for youngsters called the Yes! Expo. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Waco Convention Center, and students from 49 area high schools are expected to attend.

mcopeland@wacotrib.com

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