College-educated dishwashers
When Christe McGowan first started as the director of dining services at Medford Leas nine years ago, she had to build a constant pipeline of high-school-aged dining room servers, coffee shops attendants and sanitation attendant (that's the dishwasher!) to replace seniors going off to college. She still has to do that, but there is a way that today's tough economy is making her job a little easier.
College-educated dishwashers
Jane M. Von Bergen, Inquirer Staff Writer
When Christe McGowan first started as the director of dining services at Medford Leas nine years ago, she had to build a constant pipeline of high-school-aged dining room servers, coffee shops attendants and sanitation attendant (that's the dishwasher!) to replace seniors going off to college.
She still has to do that, but there is a way that today's tough economy is making her job a little easier.
It's easy enough to quote economists and college professors about the big-picture macro effects of the economy, but I really love it when I meet someone like McGowan who can illustrate one of the myriad of little ways that the recent brutal recession has changed our work world. McGowan was talking to a steady stream of teenagers Tuesday at the summer job fair held at Lenape High School for the Lenape High School Regional District. She was one of 40 employers looking for summer help and she was aiming to recruit about 50 teenagers for anticipated job openings in July and August. (You can read my story about it by clicking here, along with two related blog posts, here and here.)
"When I first started, a lot of the kids went away," she said. "Now a lot more of them are staying local," attending the community colleges and state-run universities.
Some of her dining service teenagers now have five years seniority. That's probably great for Medford Leas in that they don't have to train someone new and they get an experienced and dependable worker, but you can see how it already starts the downward spiral for teenagers, who have an unemployment rate of 25 percent.
Keep in mind that the 25 percent represents teenagers who actually want to work, but can't get jobs. The ones busy with other activities don't count as unemployed.
When the college kids hang on to low-rung jobs at Medford Leas, it means that fewer teenagers can get that valuable first-job work experience. Experts say that paycheck jobs teach young people important lessons about responsibility, proper dress and punctuality that last them the rest of their careers.
Poorly written article. Was it written by a College Grad? Prime example on why everyone should not go to college. There are no jobs waiting for you so why spend money you are never going to make back. Stay local and go to school at BCC and Rutgers. The best free advice anyone will give you because I do not have any personal interest in your future or outcome. You do!— A. Martinez- Makes us wonder why those children that graduate from private primary/secondary schools generally do so much better than their public school counterparts.
Funnier yet, Private School Teachers/Administrators make so much less than Public School Teachers/Administrators.
The educational system is broken and only people defending it are those that survive off of it.— Professor1982 - "... everyone should not go to college."
"Stay local and go to school at BCC and Rutgers."
What kind of idiot are you to contradict yourself within 3 sentences? Yes, everyone follow this moron's advice since he/she can't stay on course through 3 sentences.— verve - Not all college degrees are created equal. You don't see engineering graduates working as dishwashers. If your kid is going to major in history or philosophy, take he/she out of school and put them in vocational schools. NO point in wasting good money for four years.— penncrow19
- This comment has been deleted.— bowersbarn
- Right..., Obamacare and the apprehension the private sector has with Obama is doing nothing to kill jobs, lol.
BTW, notice the auto industry recovered quite nicely....Why? Because it is immune to Obama's Dodd Frank Act and the Financial Consumer Protection Bureau.
Follow the trends people...— Professor1982 - Right..., Obamacare and the apprehension the private sector has with Obama is doing nothing to kill jobs, lol. BTW, notice the auto industry recovered quite nicely....Why? Because it is immune to Obama's Dodd Frank Act and the Financial Consumer Protection Bureau. Follow the trends people... (HTML deleted) — Professor1982
- Bowers wouldn't know economic policy if it sat on his face and wiggled. Notice how Britain is now adopting policies more "capitalistic" than even the US is.(1)
Liberals are killing America...and RINOs and Democrats are letting them get away with it.
(1) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/yourbusiness/9943628/Budget-2013-Small-businesses-freed-from-jobs-tax.html— Professor1982 - Bowers wouldn't know economic policy if it sat on his face and wiggled. Notice how Britain is now adopting policies more "capitalistic" than even the US is.(1)Liberals are killing America...and RINOs and Democrats are letting them get away with it. (1) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/yourbusiness/9943628/Budget-2013-Small-businesses-freed-from-jobs-tax.html (HTML deleted) — Professor1982
- This comment has been deleted. — bowersbarn
- LoL...bowers thinks I'm "unemployed".
Here's a little fact for ya...this puppy built and sold a company, employed lots of fine people along the way, paid millions in taxes, raise more for charity and is now "semi-retired" waiting for the Spring to come (so he can play some gold) and making sure liberal dolts like you don't spoil other people's oppty to do the same thing I was fortunate enough to do.
I really feel bad for you Bowersbarn.— Professor1982 - Did they major in dish-washing, or are they on a sports scholarship?— ricciaje
- I have an engineering degree. i've always had a good job. you can't go study underwater-basket-weaving and expect 6 figures.— boquin09
- Oh here we go again. Hey bowersbarn. Why don't you blame your demigod Obama for anything. What flavor is the koolaid you tasted.If the Republicans have so much power over everyone why did they lose the election? We are all so sick of hearing it's the republican's fault or it's Bush's fault. Your Mesiah has had over 4 years to do something about the job market and he hasn't done squat. Well he did hire a big batch of lazy useless government workers. Because God knows we need more of them. Oh and by the way 2 of those years he had the house and senate majority so what about then. All he accomplished was a money pit dismal healthcare bill that we all really wanted and Gays in the military when he had the super majority. You just keep blaming us for your woes if it makes you feel better princess. Have you recieved your Obamaphone yet?
— marshalltech - This comment has been deleted. — bowersbarn
