Job fairs are great for making connections and networking, but they’re not always geared toward younger job seekers.

On Wednesday, Career Source Tampa Bay held a job fair specifically for young adults ages 16-24. It’s part of its “Tampa Bay Summer Hires” program which places students in paid internships at local businesses for the summer months.


What You Need To Know

  • Tampa Bay Summer Hires is a program that aims to help teens find jobs and internships

  • The program pays interns $13 an hour for their work

  • Local teens get experience working in different careers

One student who is in the program and attended the job fair, Daniel Curry, said he’s looking for a specific type of position.  

“I want to help the future, the kids are the future, so anywhere I can be a help and a blessing, that’s where I want to be,” Curry told Spectrum Bay News 9.

Daniel ended up accepting a position with Gentlemen’s Quest of Tampa. It’s an organization that helps mentor young men, and one Daniel knows firsthand. He participated in the program when he was in middle school.  

“Daniel seemed to have a great personality, amazing eye contact, he was a great communicator, he knew exactly what he wanted,” Executive Director of Gentlemen’s Quest of Tampa, Inc. Tavis Myrick said.

The students in the program are paid $13 per hour for their summer jobs. That money comes from a grant received by Career Source Tampa Bay.