Working through workforce changes

Summer is finally here for the kids of Sanders County. The days are longer, the weather is warmer and the next few months are full of endless possibilities.

One thing it seems won’t be available for kids in Thompson Falls as much this summer is the city pool. Due to a lack of people applying to be lifeguards, the pool is planning to reduce services. So, where are the lifeguards?

Actually, where are any applicants for any jobs? I’ve written in this space before about how it seems kids aren’t working as much. Places like city pools requiring seasonal help used to largely be staffed by high school students. They collected admission, ran the concessions, handed out towels, and even taught swimming lessons. Now, adults fill these positions or – as is the case with the pool – no one at all.

People often say they want to give their kids a better life than they had. Maybe Gen Z and Millennials, most of whom had summer jobs growing up, are turning the tables and letting their kids enjoy the summer without obligations. What’s wrong, though, with teaching responsibility in the teen years?

Sure, having a summer job is a commitment, but it’s also very rewarding. Youth learn to be accountable for themselves. They learn communication, time management, business, and customer service skills – the types of soft skills companies and businesses are begging for right now. And there’s the freedom of making (and managing!) your own money.

The workforce is changing, and we’re seeing that from teenagers to retirees. To lure workers through their doors, companies are throwing everything at them, from higher pay, better benefits, flexible schedules, on-site daycares, to anything else that might entice applicants. Not much seems to be working, which is a shame, because we find ourselves in predicaments like the one above.

The city pool is not alone in its struggle to find workers, but not having access to services such as swimming lessons hits our community hard. Hopefully, this trend changes and everyone can get back to enjoying summer.

— Annie Wooden