PRESS RELEASE

Colorado Department of Labor and Employment • 633 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1200 • Denver, CO 80202 •

(303) 318-8004 • Fax: (303) 318-8070

Colorado State Fair and the City of Pueblo Are Honored
as Governor’s Summer Job Hunt Program Wraps Up 27th Year

(DENVER) – With school back in session and the weather getting cooler, summer has come to its inevitable end. And with the end of the season comes the conclusion of the 2007 Governor’s Summer Job Hunt. Every year since its inception in 1981, the program has promoted successful entry into the workforce through education and workplace experience that leads to self-sufficiency.

“This year, Workforce Centers across Colorado provided thousands of young people with assistance in résumé writing, interviewing skills, and job-search strategies,” says Department of Labor and Employment Executive Director Donald J. Mares. “They connected thousands more with summer jobs thanks to community-minded businesses. Every employer who hired a young person this summer was working in collaboration with our schools to build and strengthen our future workforce.”

At the close of the 2007 program year, the Governor’s Summer Job Hunt program gave special recognition to employers who went “above and beyond” in helping teens expand their basic workplace skills. Michelle Chavez of the Colorado State Fair and Mike Sexton of the City of Pueblo were both honored for the assistance they provided teens in Southern Colorado.

Michelle Chavez works for the Colorado State Fair. The fair is a Colorado tradition with a history going back over 100 years and it takes a lot of workers to make an event like this a success. To staff for the 2007 State Fair, Michelle listed 53 positions with the Governor’s Summer Job Hunt this Spring. Mike Sexton is Assistant City Manager for the City of Pueblo and this summer, he listed 335 positions with the Governor’s Summer Job Hunt. The Colorado State Fair and the City of Pueblo have worked with the Governor’s Summer Job Hunt in the past, but 2007 was a banner year and the quantity and quality of job listings from both the City of Pueblo and the State Fair were outstanding.

The Governor’s Summer Job Hunt offers more than job opportunities. It gives them the tools and self-confidence to be successful. And although the program’s twenty-seventh year has come to a close, the services are provided year round. Workforce Centers offer workshops and counseling in résumé writing, interviewing skills and job search strategies to help young people gain a competitive edge in their job hunt.