GREEN LAKE, Wis. — From the biggest cities to the smallest towns, many businesses around Wisconsin are always looking to hire part-time help heading into the summer season. 

What You Need To Know

  • A job fair in Green Lake is targeting teen workers

  • The job fair helped small businesses find summer employees

  • Students from area school districts attended the event as a field trip

It is especially true in tourist-focused communities such as Green Lake. However, some business representatives said finding that talent can be quite challenging. 

The Green Lake Area Chamber of Commerce takes a unique approach in connecting young job seekers with available positions. 

For the past three years it has held an event called the Hire Me Now job fair. 

The fair brings in students in 8th through 12th grade. It is specifically designed to feature businesses looking to hire young people part-time. 

Golf courses, summer camps and a local grocery store all had booths at the recent event. 

Benjamin Edwards, 15, is a freshman at Green Lake High School. He came with several classmates in search of summer work. 

Edwards talked with a variety of potential employers at the event. He said getting to talk one-on-one with them went a long way. 

“It is kinda nice to be hands on with the people,” said Edwards. “You get to learn a little bit more about the positions. So, when you are here you get to talk to the people who do work there.”  

Businesses said they also enjoy getting to meet candidates one-on-one. Renee Saul co-owns Sweet and Salty, an ice cream parlor and candy store in nearby Ripon. 

Saul said having enough summertime staff is keya reas; that's one reason she said she likes getting to meet potential candidates. 

“We are looking to hire a whole bunch and it is great to be able to meet them in-person rather than someone just running in, grabbing an application and filling it out and then meeting with them later," said Saul. 

The event also featured presentations which taught interview and job skills. 

Angie Evans with the Green Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, who organized the event, said just giving students the chance to practice these skills means a lot. 

“Even though they are so young, there is so much they can learn,” said Evans. “The way you dress, the way you act, you are the face of that company. So, we think that is very important for the students to learn.” 

Several school districts across Green Lake and Fond du Lac Counties offer a trip to the Hire Me Now expo as a field trip, so students can attend without missing a day of school. 

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