Teen Job Bank Connecting Students To Employment

A local bank does not deal with money, but accepts deposits of student jobseekers who are interested in withdrawing some much-needed work this summer.

Teen Job Bank is looking for more Souhegan High School students and Amherst businesses to sign up for its program that matches employers to the young Amherst and Mont Vernon workers.

Co-founder Rick Katzenberg said that the process is easy: A local homeowner or business contacts Teen Job Bank with a job they need filled, and they are then connected to a teen who has applied to the program. The young workers are paid $10 per hour, with $1 per hour going back to his organization to help fund marketing expenses and find new jobs.

The matches are made based on the skills of the student and the needs of the employer, which has given students plenty of unique opportunities for work. Jobs have included anything from bricklaying and painting to tutoring and babysitting.

Their tasks can be a big help to the community as they help teach senior citizens about technology or help them with groceries. A group of students even took care of one woman’s farm animals so she could get out of the house while her husband served in Afghanistan.

“We do not do lobotomies, but short of that, we are open to any work,” said Katzenberg.

The non-profit organization has gone online with Teenjobbank.com, where employers and potential employees can easily sign up for the program.

Teen Job Bank was formed two years ago by Katzenberg and students at Souhegan and on his the school's tennis team, which he coaches. His girls would come to him asking if he knew about any job openings, but he was having trouble helping them.

“The recession hit and none of the girls could get jobs,” said Katzenberg.

Teammates Sarah White and Jenna Gowell helped him get the project up and running and soon they were connecting teen workers with the jobs they sorely needed.

Katzenberg said that Teen Job Bank currently has about a hundred employers, mostly in Amherst, and over a hundred students employees available. Fourteen students now run the administrative team with him, and learn valuable organization and business skills along the way.

He said that Teen Job Bank is looking for donations to help with legal expenses as they work to grow the organization, as well as establish a fund to help those who cannot afford the fees.

For more information on Teen Job Bank, visit Teenjobbank.com or please email Teenjobbank@gmail.com. You can also call Rick Katzenberg at 603-673-0553. Visit their Facebook page for updates.