By Michael Speck

Students seeking summer jobs, have no fear.

Prospects for employment are better than they appear.

A funding increase for a Summer Jobs Service program at the Welland Job Gym certainly helps, said the organization’s manager Deanna Villella.

To help give the economy a shot in the arm, the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development increased its allotment of money for the program by 57 per cent, to nearly $90 million for all summer jobs strategies in 2009, helping more than 100,000 young people this summer.

The funding gives employers a $2 an hour wage subsidy to hire students, to offset the costs of training.

The Welland Job Gym’s share of that money is more $500,000.

“So we’ll be able to help a lot more employers this year with a lot more subsidy dollars to hire a lot more students, and that’s a great thing,” Villella said.

The funding will help, as the organization has seen an increase of roughly 200 students looking for work, to about 700 students. Last year, about 500 students were helped by the Job Gym to find summer work.

But the funding is merely the icing on the cake, Villella said. Despite the retracting market, the Job Gym hasn’t seen a noticeable decline in the number of job postings it makes available, she said.

Many of the jobs students apply for are service-level or entry level jobs, as well as part-time work, which haven’t been hit as hard by the recession.

The wage subsidy will also help to make available specific positions that help students with their areas of study, such as jobs at the Welland Museum or Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, said Villella.

On the other hand, the operating costs saved by the program could open the door for companies to hire more full-time workers who have particular skills to offer.

One thing to remember is despite the economic scenario, competition for summer jobs is fierce, and students, especially those in high school, should start pounding the pavement as soon as possible,
said Villella.

“My message to young people is if you need a summer job, you need to start searching right now,” she said. “The earlier, the better.”

One trend Villella said she hasn’t noticed is more skilled workers vying for summer jobs. She said recently laid-off workers in more advanced fields are still trying to re-enter the job market at their level.

For students, she said, the summer season looks “optimistic,” and optimism is one of the greatest assets a young job-searcher can have.

“I think optimism helps in the look for work,” Villella said. “It shows on your face.”