Summer stimulus creates jobs for disadvantaged youths

BRIGHTON - When most of us heard of the stimulus package created through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, much of the focus fell on the jobs that it is supposed to create or save.

Initially, a lot of the talk was about infrastructure jobs related to road improvement projects and the like, but the multi-billion dollar stimulus is also going to put an estimated 1 million disadvantaged youths to work. Seventeen-year-old Robert Jaqus is from Thornton and will spend eight weeks working at Barr Lake State Park.

"It's pretty fun. It's outside and we'll get to do a lot of things," Jaqus said.

Quinn Martinez is also working with Jaqus and two other teens. For Martinez, this is the first job he's ever had.

"It feels great. I tried to look for other jobs like at Taco Bell, but they're not hiring," the 17-year-old Martinez said.

They'll spend their days cleaning the park, weeding, painting and anything else that needs to be done and will get paid roughly $1,800 for their eight weeks of work.

Of the $1.2 billion dedicated for the summer work program, Colorado will get more than $11 million to put youths - up to age 24 - to work.

Since the stimulus was introduced it has created plenty of political fights and controversy, but it's also created jobs at Barr Lake State Park that four teenagers are grateful to have for the time being.

Candidates had to meet certain criteria. The state of Colorado is hoping roughly 3,000 jobs will be created through this specific program. Many local county workforce centers have placed candidates for the summer, but representatives with the Colorado Department of Labor say there may be positions still open.

For more information contact your local workforce center. A list of area workforce centers can be found at the labor department's Web site: www.coworkforce.com.