Gray Column: Why Virginia needs a teen jobs program

I was talking to a few teens last week about what they planned to do this summer. A couple said they were going to hang out, some where going on vacation.

But surprisingly, nobody mentioned that four-letter word — jobs — that put the other four-letter word — cash — in their pockets.

It got me thinking back to when I was in my mid-teens growing up in Mississippi. It may have been notoriously known for being one of the poorest states in the country, but they provided jobs for kids my
age ... at least in the town I lived in.

Here’s how it worked. If your income qualified you, your child could apply for a listing of jobs — primarily first-come, first-served — that would provide employment for eight weeks in the summer.

The jobs were mutually beneficial to the community as well as the teens. The jobs included helping janitorial crews at the local courthouse, cleaning up city parks and helping clean the schools during the
summer break. I don’t know for sure, but I would bet the city saved money while making sure we teens made a little. Not a bad deal.

The jobs weren’t as luxurious as working in the air-conditioned malls, but they gave a steady paycheck to teens looking to save for school clothes or for newly-graduated high school seniors saving money
for college. If nothing else, it gave teens something to do.

Coming home from work the other day, I noticed a group of about 10 teens wondering the side of a major road down by the mall. Chances are they weren’t doing anything wrong, but it sure would be nice
if they were walking in a pack after getting off from work.

While all of this stimulus money is roaming the halls of the federal government and trickling down to state coffers, maybe a summer jobs program is one of the answers for occupying the time of our teens.

As I have said before, I am not a big fan of government spending deficits. However, funding a statewide teen jobs program would be the answer to young people looking for jobs right now, especially with
retail stores cutting back or closing. In addition, parents who might not be able to afford summer camps for their teens could have them in a productive environment the majority of the day.

Another reason why this could work is that teens spend. Teens purchase video games, run up cell phone bills — which I do not condone — and buy the most clothes. To do so they need money, money
that most parents are finding more and more scarce. I know that for me, my summer job took a tremendous load off the family budget.

But for me, back when I was growing up and now, summer jobs help teach teens responsibility and keep them out of trouble. The “keep them out of trouble” part I cannot emphasize enough.

There is a saying that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. This is true when too many young people have too much time of nothing to do but “hang out.” Not all the time but sometimes, bad things have
the potential to happen. Awarding teens a summer job, by making it incentive-based, would be a great way of reducing that potential.

I would love to see one of the candidates running for governor make this a part of their platform to run on. Too often politics ends up being like a trendy new fashion. Whatever the latest concern or issue is
people get consumed into talking about that.

But then there are those issues we know will make strong investments in the future. There is no guessing in those programs. If investments in the future are what politicians truly want, summer jobs for
teenagers are a tried and true strategy that works. I know from personal experience.

Moreover, it is simply the right thing to do. Yes it will cost some money. But as another one of those little small-town sayings would go: you have to give a little to get a little.

Davon Gray works in Washington, D.C., and resides in Woodbridge. Contact him at .