SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — The City of Sierra Vista Youth Council is hosting a hiring fair Friday for teens ages 15 to 19, connecting young job seekers with mock interviews, resume workshops and business representatives from the community.
The legal working age in Arizona is 14 years old, but finding a job at that age can be difficult since companies have rules in place that limit who they are able to hire.
Grace Streeter, a Sierra Vista Youth Council member, said the barriers are real for many young people entering the workforce.
"There's a lot of issues with a lot of youth trying to get jobs, and a lot of people have a hard time finding them. They also don't know what to say, what to do."
Eric Grisham, Business Services Representative for Arizona @ Work, said employers are increasingly focused on foundational skills.
"A lot of the stuff most of the businesses are looking for now is those soft employability skills that we've kind of got away from."
Those skills include resume writing and communication — tools that help in the initial steps of getting a job.
Grisham said businesses weigh experience heavily when setting wages.
"Businesses would rather hire someone with a little skill and experience if they're going to pay them 15 to $20 an hour."
But Streeter said teens bring their own value to the table.
"Having almost a tech savvy like teenager or just having them there, it could help a lot."
Sierra Vista City Councilman Mark Rodriguez said the fair is about making sure young people know their options.
"Not every youth is going to go to college right away. Not every youth is going to join the military and do stuff like that. So we're going to stay right here in our community, and we want to make sure that they know the opportunities are out there for them."
Grisham said events like this help teens clear the hurdles that can make job searching feel overwhelming.
"That's the starting point for them to get over those there's barriers and boundaries so they can be successful in that interview."
Grisham said building confidence and knowledge are the key outcomes he hopes teens take away from the experience.
"My goal and takeaway for them would be one they feel more confident in the process, the interview process, the resume process, and even talking with the employers, but also that now they're being more educated."
The hiring fair is on Friday at the Cochise College Downtown Campus from 1 to 4 p.m.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
