at “and ONE OF THE SOUNDS of summer is coming back to Terrace thanks to an caterprising teenager, The jingling bells of the ice-cream man have Jong lured both children and adults alike. And this summer won't be an exception with Corey Hulf cruising the streets, It can be tough for youths with litte job experience to find work. But 15- year-old Corey didn’t wait for some- ane to hire him, Instead, be started up an ice-cream “vending business and now be’s his own boss, “T sell ice cream bars, popcicles, fudgecicles — stuff like. that,’’ says Corey. “But I don't sell revelos be- cause they nielt toa” fast in my cooler,’’ Corey says that his dad thought of the idea originally, and then his mom found oul about student loans avail- able through the Business Develop- ment Bank of Canada. “thought about it,” Corey says, “And I really needed the extra YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR Corey. Tr is: S making money on het summer days by selling ice cream from a pedal cart he bought. THIS SUMMER another couple hundréd students enter the work- force, fresh from the Caledonia grad class. Some will only want jobs for the sum- mer, others are starting careers, No matter what type of job they’re aiming for, they likely have a- better chance if they’ve taken Career Prepara- tion 12, a course at Caledonia which pro- vides students with 100-120-hours of work experience before they graduate. In the ‘past some graduates of the course have continued working af the job in which they were placed, And this year that trend continues, albeit at a reduced pace, says Career Prep teacher Gerry Sharples. Students who take part in the program are in business, the trades and natural resources, This year 39° students went through the program, and ‘it’s likely at least three of them will get part time or summer jobs, Sarah Hill is one. She tumed a work .. Placement at First Choice Travel into a part time job. Not bad for someone who's only lived i in Canada since Febmu- ary. oe “TL was already helping ther’ $0 wey decided to keep mé on,” explained Hill. : More students than work Weather a factor in ca TERRACE EMPLOYERS did George blames the poor not hire nearly as many students employer response partly. on the last week as organizers of Hirea = Weather. Student Week had hoped for. ‘It didnt go very well to be- honest,” says student employ- ment co-ordinator ~ Glenys George. ‘‘We didn’! get very many jab orders, so that’s not very good.” George-says they received lots of job orders during the first two weeks of the centre’s’ opening. But the orders really trailed off it’s The 16-year-old is from southeast En- gland and bas always hoped for a career in the travel industry. “When Barb (her employer) said to come in on Saturdays, I was really pleased,”’ said Hill. “I just help with small things but it’s a start.’” -““She’s very mature for her age,” said employer Barb Kerr. Clients of the travel agency always comment on Hill's English accent. ‘She - money, so I borrowed $1,000 to buy a cart,’’ . businesses, ine Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 12, 1996 - AS The Business Development Bank is offeriig these lnans of up to $3,000 for students to operate their own small businesses during the summer, The loans are. interest-free and must’ be paid back by October 4, It’s a fabulous opportunity to get young people into entrepreneurial ** says the biank’s Laura Caulley. “And we still have funds available, but the deadline for applica- tion is June 21," The money Corey borrowed was used to buy a pedal-powered ice- cream cart and ice-cream. And Corey is optimistic about his business: “T've made $250 towards my first “loan payment sa far,” he says. “And il’s been a slow month because of the wealher," Corey has been concentrating his ef- forts ‘on ball games and other sporting events where lots of people con- pregate, He says that il’s a good way ta gel exposure so people know he’s out there, But when the games slow down, Corey will bit be streets more — al- Loan bankrolled ice cream cart though a cart loaded with ice-cream can be rather heavy, “Especially uphill,”* he points out. “But it will really help improve me athletically,’”’ Corey adds that it doesn’t help when people yell and swear at him for tak- ing up too much space on the road, buthe puts up with i. “T just keep going,”’ he says, An astute businessman, © Corey knows he has to take the good with the ‘bad, and that there are’ always trade-off to be made. “The bells,’ be says, shaking his head. ''They draw attention, but they gct really annoying for me when I have to hear them all the time.” When he pays off the loan, Corey will still have the cart. And tbat trans- lates into extra profits next summer. So Corey says he will likely keep working at bis business i in the years to come, “T want to play in the NHL,’” he says. ‘‘But if I.can’t-do that, maybe I could create a chain of ice-cream carts,"” areer prep class can help job quest Caledonia students gain experience and, in experience and, in some cases, jobs more students are hoping to parlay their work placements into summer jobs. Norma. Van Raal}le, another Career Prep teacher, said that over the six years of the program, about 10-15 students have probably gone directly into employment or apprenticeship from a work term. “There’s no question that (the pro- gram) definitely gives them a jump suart,”’ said Van Raalte, Bul even stu- cp S really neat to see some kid slouching around school go out and catch fire in the workplace.”’ adds a little class to the joint,’ said Kerr. Hill credits. the Carcer. Prep program with helping her to land the job. She says the information on interview techniques and professional resumes Was particular. ly useful, Hill-is more fortunate than many of her classmates this. year. Career Prep teacher dents who don’t sce immediate results benefit , “It's a networking thing. The kids have now made a link with somebody in a position to put in a good word for them.”’ Van Raalte also enjoys seeing students who lack enthusiasm for school become “A. lot of the casual jobs are weather-dependent painting, lawnmowing,’’ she. says. ‘‘And On Saturday, George and Bon- ville were at Market, homemade bagels and coffee to thank people for their support. . excited alter. coming back from a work placements... 08 0 ftnomeres ‘tlt’s really. neat to’ see ‘some kid Gerry: Sharples: said ‘he had difficuldy. irying’to'find Work piacements for all'thé students this year. However, two to three -don’t enjoy working i in the field of study SARAH HILL has parlayed her | Caledonia work experience into a part-time job at alocal travel agency, slouching araund school go out and thal. catch fire in the workplace.” Next year the Carcer Prep program at : Cai will be expanding to include a wider And even if the students find they variety of career unerests. Students will be able ta find jobs ,injourism,, leader- they were pursuing, at least Vari’ Raalté ship and fine arts. says Van Raalte, says they had the opportunity to discaver Student loans sual job market like gardening and been pretty wet lately.” the Farmer's away = free giving last week. ‘Right now we've gol 70 stu- denis. wailing and only 15 permanent jobs available,’ says got 70 students wait. “George. “Although many of (NG and only 75 those students may already be permanent jobs ayvail- doing some casual labour, and gph/e,’? — ' they’re looking for more work,’* “Right now we've George and = fellow co- ordinator Josee Bonville heated Al up their job-matching efforts during the week to promote the centre to employers. They were - on the radio daily, sent faxes to dozens of local businesses and pave out pamphlets while dressed as a Kermodei bear. Tece just Spinning some sweet work CREATING YOUR own summer job can be as easy as Spinning sugar into colton candy. Just ask 15-year-old Jeff Town. He's selling the sweet tufts at fairs special events this summer throughout the northwest, -“T want to make money for college and drama camps,”’ says Jeff. “And I would rather be my own boss.”’ His parents anted up the $1,500 to buy a cotton candy machine, which they ordered from a supplier on the In- ternet, He had considered a student business loan, But he abandoned that idea. be- cause of what they considered to be too much paperwork, and opted: instead for the family loan. ~The deal is that 50 per cent of his did not quite turn out as she had hoped, George says the centre ‘*People know about the pro- gram now,” to hire students.’’ though Hire a Student Week ived lots of attention. says George. ‘We have lo pressure them a bil PULLING OUT THE STOPS: Student employment co-ordinator Glenys George dons Kermodei bear outfit ta remind employers of the availability of local student labour now that schoo! is finishing. still available YOUNG PEOPLE who would like to take advantage of the Student Business Loan program still have until June 21st to apply, But so far few young people here have taken ad- vantage of the program. ‘Amazingly we have not had a large number of re- quests from Terrace,” said Laura Cautley of the Busi- ness Development Bank of Canada. ‘‘We're talking up to $3,000 interest-free.’? She didn'l have an explanation for the lack of interest so far. ‘'T don’t know if it’s because there’s a lack of ideas or young people don’t need-to creale their own jobs or what?” she said. ‘Bul this is a perfect opportunity to create a job for themselves." Potential student business opportunities range from landscaping and yard work to running short tours of ]o cal attractions for tour bus visitors, Cautley said. “I think there's lots of ideas oul there if you just look around." Student Business Loans of up to $3,000 are available lo high ‘school, college and university students, The loans are interest-free until the due date of Oct. 4, Students must detail their plans for a viable business project. BDC offers counselling and training 10 help students prepare business plans and operate successful- ly. Application forms are available at the Canada Employment Centre, the Business Development Bank of Canada, or the Royal Bank. | Last year 1,253 loans worth $3.5 million were pro- Vided 10 students who created 2,472 summer jobs. Al- most half were 18 or younger: JEFF TOWN invested in a cotion candy machine and is selling the sweet “| stuff at special events this ii summer. He recelved a loan from his parents to 4) purchase the machine in- stead of getting a govem- ment business loan through a program devel- profils go towards the capital cost of the machine until it’s paid off. He’s already done the Houston rodeo on the May 24 weekend, and his next stop is the Northwest Loggers Associa- tion’s trades fair in Thornhill this Satur- day, Town says he picked up a lot of good ideas at a March workshop for young entrepreneurs. And he says a Business Education 10 class ‘he ‘took by. correspondence gave him useful help in setting up a display and marketing products, Jeff also works the Skeena Valley farmers market every Saturday with his parents, Where they sell home-made antipastos, chutneys and jams. The family shares in the work and the profits from that venture as well.