A Message from Paula Brehm-Heeger, the Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Library Director

With the Baby Boom generation reaching retirement age and a pandemic that is accelerating the retirement plans of many Boomers, there is growing concern in the community about a lack of qualified individuals to take their place in our workforce. At the Library, we are providing services and resources to prepare young people for careers. From events aimed at teens, like Get College Ready, opens a new window, to resources, like Peterson’s Career Prep, the Library has what young people need to prepare for a promising career in whatever industry interests them.

Job Opportunities for Teens & Young Adults

The Library employs nearly 800 individuals who are passionate about serving the community. We have job openings at many locations that provide young people with a great opportunity to get real world work experience and build their résumé. Many of our part-time Shelvers and Homework Helpers are teens and young adults. Check out our current job openings on our website, opens a new window.

Resources

A library card opens the door to a wealth of free resources young people can use to explore career options, build workforce readiness skills, and prepare for training programs and higher education. Here are a few of our more popular ones:

• While visiting the Ohio Statehouse recently as a part of a delegation from our region with the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, I had the chance to ask Higher Education Chancellor and former State Senator Randy Gardner his thoughts on how to help high school students prepare for further education. He replied that supporting all students in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be a top priority. At the Library, Brain Fuse’s HelpNow provides live support from experts to help young people fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so they can find out what funds are available to them to support education and training programs after high school. Also, these FAQs about the FAFSA, opens a new window can help young people understand more about what FAFSA can offer them.
• The MakerSpace at the Downtown Main Library as well as other MakerSpaces in select branches provide young people with access to technologies used in 21st-century careers. Young people can gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies while exploring how their interests can lead to specific careers or entrepreneurial ventures.
• Peterson’s Test Prep, opens a new window includes practice tests for college entrance tests like the ACT, PSAT and SAT, as well as dozens more industry-specific tests.
• Universal Class, opens a new window offers over 100 classes in career training, as well as hundreds more on specific skills and jobs.
• Vocational & Career Collection, opens a new window is a database of articles from over 300 trade publications that can help individuals learn more about different career paths.
• Workshops, such as our Career 101, opens a new window series, provide connections to community resources as well as practical tips for workforce success.

Additional resources can be found on our website, opens a new window.

Trained, Caring Professionals

Our Library staff are here to serve young people and their families, and some of our staff dedicate their entire focus to this service, such as our Teen Services Librarians and Monitor Mentors. They are focused on guiding tweens and teens in their efforts to become Future Ready. They help tweens and teens build the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to be successful in life after high school, including in their personal life, career, and civic life. As we prepare for the new year ahead, these library staff members are gearing up to provide more Future Ready supports and services than ever before.

Read more blog posts from the Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Library Director.