Teenagers build new life skills, prepare for workforce with summer jobs

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – While summer is typically a time to play outside and have fun, for many teenagers it means working to gain new life skills to take with them in their adult years.

There are a variety of job options that teenagers have during the summer, from food, to retail and to recreational areas.

Cody Go Karts Owner Robin Gaedke said that there are many tools teenagers need in order to venture out in the real world.

“It’s the first time dealing with other people, being considered a grownup, “ Gaedke said. “A person is in charge of the area they are in and it requires for them to work as a team, and it gives them practice with their customer service skills and getting out there and working with each other.”

A new Pizza Ranch opened in North Platte, and one of the owners, Shae Caldwell, says they have 60 teenagers out of the 90 employees they have.

Caldwell said that teenagers that get summer jobs are able to learn early about what they need to be successful in the workforce.

“The teenagers we hire, our goal is to teach them those employment skills they need. Teaching them that work ethic. How to show up on time. How to work hard. To do the jobs that they do,” Caldwell said. “Because we want them to move on in the future, when they are filling out those job applications, we want to see that they worked at Pizza Ranch and know they got the skill set they need.”

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