Summer has arrived and a number of local groups are hoping to find qualified young people for seasonal work.
The jobs are usually available to high school students out of class for the summer or university students coming home after classes wrap up.
The benefits are not simply for students seeking work – non-profit groups, small businesses and public sector groups can often hire summer students through the Canada Summer Jobs grant. Through the grant, groups can have at least part of the salary of a summer employee subsidized by the federal government, essentially giving applicants a new employee at little or no upfront cost.
“It’s extra help that’s paid for. That’s the biggest benefit. For lots of the non-profits, they could really use the help,” said Michelle Reid, office manager for the Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber is one of multiple community groups – including NorVA, the Flin Flon Recycling Centre, Flin Flon Neighbourhood Revitalization Corpora-tion and more – who are looking to hire a student and using the grant to offset any costs.
Other companies, including Hudbay and multiple government ministries, have hired students for jobs at lower wages than more experienced workers may command.
The jobs aren’t always in sectors that the students hope to pursue careers in later. One summer hire, Nicole Breedon, has returned to Flin Flon to work at the Phantom Lake Golf Club. Breedon graduated this year with an honours degree in forensic science and anthropology from Trent University.
While she searches for a job in southern Manitoba, Breedon hopes to spend her time in Flin Flon productively and make some money in the process – the same way she has spent three out of the past four summers.
“I feel like, with school stresses during the winter, it’s nice to take a break and find a job you enjoy,” said Breedon.
“It’s not only a lucrative decision, but just to work and interact with new people and pass the time for the few months you’re not studying.”
Through summer work, Breedon said she learned lessons that she could later apply to her studies, even if the jobs she worked were not in her future career plans.
“Even though I’m only working one job now, every other summer I’ve worked multiple jobs. I think the pressure to work a lot for school helped me maintain time management skills,” she said.
