Area companies encouraged to look for ways to hire young workers

Mayor Mary Verner and the Spokane Area Workforce Development Council have declared June to be “Hire a Youth” Month.  The proponents hope it only takes a mere month to inspire many employers to open their doors and bring young people into the workforce.

Two years ago, many area teens could get summer, entry-level jobs without superhuman effort. That’s changed and has made getting hire more difficult, since many of those entry-level jobs are going to skilled workers displaced by layoffs, said Heidi Peterson, youth services manager for NextGenerationZone , a cooperative nonprofit coalition focused on helping young people find good jobs in the area.