After two summers working at a landscaping business, Muskogee teen Ben Gibson is looking for something new this summer,

“We had an old friend of the family who worked for a landscaping business, and I had worked for him, but this summer I won’t be able to do that because I want to work full-time,” Gibson said. “This year will be my senior year, and that’s the year you need gas money, plus I’m trying to save for college.”

Gibson said he has been looking around at places such as Hastings Books, Music and Videos.

He’s in for some competition. With school out for summer, scores of other teens and college students are looking for jobs as well. A high unemployment rate also means competition from adult job seekers.

“It will be harder for kids to get the typical teen jobs because people without work are taking these positions as their main job or a second jobs just to make ends meet,” said Nannette Robertson, director of the Eastern Workforce Investment Board, or EWIB.

Oklahoma’s unemployment rate rose to 6.2 percent in April, a jump from the 3.5 percent in April 2008. March unemployment in Muskogee and surrounding counties, also is higher than the year before.

“In our area, as in others across the country, youth are competing with their parents, relatives and other adults for jobs that have typically been held by teens and young adults in the summer months,” said Stacy Turner, youth program manager with STEPS for Success, a non-profit job program that contracts with EWIB.

With stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, The STEPS program will offer an extensive summer employment program for low-income youth.

Turner said the program will target ages 16 to 24, with emphasis on youth who have dropped out of high school, high school graduates who are not attending college or training, and youth who still lack basic skills.

She said EWIB is looking for applicants who qualify for the program, as well as employers who are willing to work with youth.

The Eastern Workforce Investment Board serves seven counties: Adair, Cherokee, McIntosh, Muskogee, Okmulgee, Sequoyah and Wagoner.

The Workforce Investment Act also provides for a year-round program for low-income youth between 14 and 21, which includes work experiences and educational programs, Turner said.

Because this STEPS program targets low-income youth, not every teen could take advantage.

That leaves out-of-work teens pounding the pavement for summer work.

“I’m definitely seeing more calls from people asking how old you have to be to work here (17) or asking how to fill out applications online,” said Dustin Strickland, assistant manager at Hastings.

Tinesha Anderson, who will be a junior at Muskogee High School, said she has held her job at Quizno’s for four months.

“I want to get more money and save it for a car,” she said. “Plus, it’s something to do so I’m not always bored.”

With school out, Anderson said she hopes to work full-time.

Turner said teens or young adults looking for work must upgrade their skills “to meet the changing needs of the workforce.”

She said Workforce centers offer a range of services to job seekers including lessons in resume writing, interviewing and job retention.

The Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension advises job-seeking teens to make sure the spelling, grammar and punctuation is correct on their job applications and resumes. Also, present an energetic and professional appearance during job interviews.

OSU Cooperative Extension interim associate dean Glenn Muske advises people to build their networks.

“Teens this year need to more than ever before use their networks to find possible job openings. Many of the jobs they might apply for may not even be advertised this year,” Muske said in a media release. “Teens should be telling people they’re looking for a job. Getting the word out to friends, family and other acquaintances could lead to job prospects.”

Reach Cathy Spaulding at 684-2928 or cspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com