FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. -- David Jones was not disappointed when he held on-site interviews at the installation's Youth Job Fair on March 1.
"I was very impressed," said Jones, general manager at Devcon Security, a security systems company based in Edgewood.
Thirty candidates applied for full-time and independent contractor sales positions. "Many kids were hungry for work," Jones said.
About 500 youths age 16 to 21 participated in the annual event at McGill Training Center.
More than 45 businesses, educational institutions, military recruiters, federal agencies and nonprofit organizations were exhibitors. Participants included the Air Force, National Security Agency, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Towson University, American Pool, Safeway, Cinemark Egyptian 24 Theaters, Camp Fire USA and the Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County.
Exhibitors offered several employment and other options, including full- and part-time jobs, internships, training programs and volunteer opportunities.
The job fair was a collaboration between the Employment Readiness Program at Army Community Service; Child, Youth and School Services; the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; Anne Arundel One-Stop; Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation; and the Fleet and Family Support Center at ACS.
Vikki Torrence, Employment Readiness Program Manager at ACS, invited Devcon Security, Weiss Supermarket and other employers to hold on-site interviews at the job fair.
"It's a value-added benefit to the exhibitors and gives an opportunity to the youths to present themselves," Torrence said. "It was the first time we did it. It seems like it was a win-win."
Of the 30 youths who were interviewed by Devcon Security, four are prospective independent contractors and two are prospective full-time employees, pending the review and processing of their paper work.
In addition to on-site interviews, the job fair also offered seminars in resume preparation and interviewing techniques.
Torrence said the goal of the job fair is to "provide youth with the opportunity to showcase their talent" and help employers find qualified candidates for summer or ongoing full-time or part-time employment.
Labor statistics show that youths need all the help they can get in landing a job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 23.2 percent of teens nationwide were unemployed as of last month.
"Jobs that have traditionally gone to a younger population have been taken by the number of adults who are out of work and by graduating college students," Torrence said. "We wanted to provide a little ray of sunshine for young people."
Allen Gordon, a senior studying graphic design at Anne Arundel Community College, said he attended the fair to "seek out future opportunities."
Although he interviewed with the NSA, Gordon said he plans to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery for entrance to the Navy to become a photojournalist or graphic designer.
"It's a job I'll be able to keep," he said.
For a second year, Lexus Johnson, a junior at Arundel High School, came to the fair to sign up as a lifeguard at U.S. Aquatics, a pool management company in Beltsville.
"I like keeping kids safe," the 16-year-old said. "I like being a lifeguard. I don't want them to get hurt."
Kevin Johnston, a human resources specialist at the Defense Media Activity, said the agency is offering paid full-time and part-time internships for youths in areas ranging from media to human resources and finance.
"So far, the young people we've seen have come prepared and seem willing to learn," Johnston said.
Airman 1st Class Anthony Marquez, 19, of the Air Force National Guard, traveled from Hanover, Pa., to find a full-time technical job at the fair.
A client systems technician, Marquez said there aren't many technical jobs available where he lives.
"They want someone with years of experience or a college degree, which I don't have yet," he said.
But as he planned to interview with the NSA and the U.S. Secret Service, Marquez said he is optimistic.
"I think I'm going to do OK," he said.
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