September 30, 2009

ITHACA -- The number of young adults without jobs is the highest it's been since right after World War II.  But things may be looking up, at least in certain industries.
     The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports less than 47% of 16-to-24 year olds had a job last month, but there's some good news, especially for young people trying to get into the health care field.
     “I’ve always been interested in health care,” said Ithaca College graduate student Amanda Rafel.
     Rafel is working on a degree in occupational therapy, and starting her job search.
     “Not only do I get to be hands on making a physical difference with my clients, but I get to introduce new techniques, and it's fun,” said Rafel.
     Wednesday, IC hosted a health career fair with 20 local and national companies looking to hire.  The health care industry has fared well, despite the recession.
     “Part of the reason for that is we have an aging population, but we also have an active aging population,” said Career Services Associate Director John Fracchia.
     Fracchia doesn't think any job is really recession proof, so going to career fairs and starting to network early is key.
     “I think they understand -- and we've been trying to tell them understand -- that even in a down economy, there are jobs.  But what it take to get them is to be engaged in the job search process,” said Fracchia.
     Rafel's friends who graduated with other degrees have had a tough time finding jobs.  Some have given up altogether and gone back to school.
     She says health care is the way to go.
     “Each place [I’ve interned at], they're opening up doors and offering me positions,” said Rafel.