By Joe Kefauver

It’s no secret the economy is humming right along. Here in Central Florida, our world-leading tourism economy is booming with a record number of visitors in 2017 and projections show an even more successful 2018. The biggest challenge facing employers right now is not finding customers, it’s finding employees to serve them.

Unemployment, one of our standard litmus tests in determining the health of the economy, is at (or near) historic lows. According to a recently published report by the Orlando Sentinel, the unemployment rate in Orange and Seminole counties is a mere 3 percent. Employers, especially those in the retail, hospitality and service sectors are desperate to fill jobs to keep their operations functioning. And that’s good news for workers because they have leverage. They have the ability to be selective and make businesses compete for them – on wages, benefits, flexibility and a myriad of other factors. But only if their skill set is competitive.

What about people without the skills necessary to enter the workforce? Embedded in that 3 percent unemployment rate we celebrate is a not-so-great statistic about teen unemployment which, in our region, is more than four times higher than the overall unemployment rate. While still much lower than historical norms, it is still high. Here’s the really troubling part – it’s about to get higher. With the school year ending, tens of thousands of teens will pour out of schools and many of them will be looking for jobs – either for the summer or for life. Unfortunately, many of these teenagers will lack the skill sets needed to land that all-important first job.

First jobs are critical for so many reasons. Not only do they provide a gateway into the economy for many of our most vulnerable residents, they provide a pathway to learning and skills development that will lead them to bigger and better things. I have asked literally hundreds of people from all types of vocations – policemen, lawyers, business owners, nurses, you name it – to tell me about their first jobs and what they learned from that experience that impacts their career today. The answers are often predictable but still very important. Soft skills like learning to complete tasks thoroughly and on time, interacting with customers, interacting with fellow employees, problem solving, handling stress – these are first time experiences for many young workers that teach them skills that will last a lifetime.

As a community, we need to invest in our teens. Our schools need to not only prepare them to be lifelong learners but also teach them the skills to be productive lifelong workers. Our businesses need to hire them for today but help us develop the workforce of tomorrow. And our citizens need to extend a hand through mentoring and help bring a young person along. Let’s collectively look after and invest in teens and young people. After all, one day they will be looking after us.

Joe Kefauver is the Managing Partner of Align Public Strategies and serves on the Board of After School All Stars and the Opportunity Jobs Academy.