NORTH LOGAN – Kambree Lamb is a Gen Z’er. She just graduated from Sky View High School and has been working for over a year as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant at Maple Springs Assisted Living.
As a Junior, she went to Bridgerland Technical College and earned a CNA and is in her second year working at Maple Springs Assisted Living in North Logan.
Lamb wants to earn her own money for the extras she wants in life.
“I eventually want to become a Registered Nurse,” Lamb said while she was working in the memory care part of the facility. “I’ve applied for the Licensed Practical Nurse program at Bridgerland.”
Lamb is doing everything she can do to prepare her self to currently enrolled in the phlebotomy course. Currently, she is enrolled in the phlebotomy course learning who to take blood.
“I’ve always wanted to work in the medical field,” Lamb said. “Every time I see a doctor I ask a lot of questions and I like to work with people.”
A CNA can start at somewhere around $14 an hour while an RN can make over $30 an hour.
Eventually she would like to be a travel nurse and experience places outside of Cache Valley.
A recent report by Axious, a news outlet, said Gen Z teens are working more than millennials ever did at the same age, changing up a decades-long decline.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data show about 38% of teens are working or looking for work, marking a 14-year high.
Troy Lamb, Kambree’s father is a Workforce Development Specialist and tracks a lot of that information.
“Currently, our Utah data shows an average of 56 percent of teens in our state have jobs compared to the national average of only 34 percent,” he said. “These kids today want to make their money to buy their toys and their own clothes.”
Factors contributing to the current uptick in teen employment could be higher wages as well as some who need to help support families during high inflation.
“I go to the schools and promote our programs and services and I ask how many have jobs,” he said. “I am surprised at the number that raised their hands. That is something different from when I was in high school.”
Lamb said when he was in high school parents wanted their kids to focus on studies. They thought a job would distract from their studies. Not anymore.
Employers are expected to add 1.3 million summer jobs for teens in this summer.
“Workforce Services is trying to get more people to hire youth to replace an aging workforce,” he said. “We have a program where the state helps pay employers who hire youth.”
The Department of Workforce Services said hiring teen workers not only helps a business get through peak times and find standout young employees to promote, but it also acts as a vital learning experience for teenagers. It’s an investment that can turn into a real future asset.