On June 9, a headline on the front page reads “Finding a job isn’t getting any easier for teenagers.” Meanwhile on the Opinion page, Dan Kolbert, a building contractor, wrote a piece titled “Maine Voices: Building trades offer fulfilling careers for those without college degree.” It sounds like Dan may be looking to hire.

The fact of the matter is there is no lack of jobs, just a lack of motivation. Those teens who are motivated will find a summer job. Those with lots of motivation will find more than one.

The next time you do an article like this, interview employers looking for help. Let them tell you how hard it is to get help to show up on time, how after a week or two they just stop showing up, how they lack the desire to be productive.

Then you can follow up with an article on how employers looking for seasonal help would rather hire foreign labor.

While there may be a lot of people who want a job, anyone who wants to work already has a job, maybe even more than one.

Kurt Woltersdorf

Sanford


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