Franklin Park look to hire dozens of youth for summer jobs: ‘It gets them into the workforce’

Nearly 30 part-time seasonal jobs could be available through the Summer Youth Program in Franklin Park, which begins May 1 and continues to Sept. 30.

Lisa Anthony, the Franklin Park director of human resources and operations, told Pioneer Press the village began accepting applications from students April 1.

“It gets them into the workforce. Sometimes it’s the first job they ever had,” she said.

According to Anthony, summer jobs include approximately four clerical positions, which could involve working weekdays at Village Hall answering phones, doing data entry, filing or processing payments.

“It’s a lot of customer service,” she said.

Anthony said the village can hire as many as 25 youth for laborer positions, which could involve assisting the Public Works Department with cutting grass, maintaining parkways, clearing creeks, repairing roadways and helping with events.

“Since COVID we’ve had a harder time getting students,” she said about the low number of applicants for the longtime annual program billed as one that teaches responsibility and working in a team environment.

Anthony estimated that approximately four teens or young adults — age 16 to 22 — have been hired annually for summer jobs with the village, but there have already been approximately five applications for the 2024 program.

“We’d like to have more and give them the opportunity to see what their government does for them,” she said.

According to Anthony, the hourly rate of $12 for students younger than age 18 and $15 for students age 18 or older is comparable with what Park District of Franklin Park and Leyden High School District 212, which has campuses in Franklin Park and Northlake, told her they pay youth for summer jobs.

She explained that the Summer Youth Program is part of the village’s operating budget and paid for through the general fund.

“It allows us to mentor these students so they can see what it’s like to be out in the real world and have a job and how people get along. It’s also fun to have younger people in the workplace,” Anthony said.

According to the village website, an applicant must be enrolled in high school but have taken college admission tests (or has proof of registration for such tests) or a student enrolled for the 2023-2024 academic year in an accredited college, university or graduate school.

“They do need to have a grade point average of C. They also need to have a letter of recommendation if they are a first-time applicant. If they’ve come back year after year, I don’t need a recommendation but I do need their grades every year,” Anthony said.

Other qualifications listed on the website include not being related to a village official or officer, and able to pass drug and alcohol tests.

Anthony said seasonal jobs with the village occasionally lead to full-time employment. Nick Weber, is an example of the. He started in the Summer Youth Program in 2003 working for the Water Department after graduation, and was recently promoted to deputy utilities commissioner.

Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer.