“We are currently looking for dozens of staff,” said Candi King who is in charge of staffing and recruitment. “We’ve actually started waiting lists at many of our locations for families that are still registering for care, so that we can ensure we have enough staff hired to meet the required staff to student ratios.”
Adventures Plus is a key service for working parents who need child care before or after school. The Community Education program expects to have 3,000 students enrolled at 24 schools this fall. It’s not unusual for the program to have open positions this time of year as many college and high school students who work for them will be returning to their own school soon. But this year, they’re running into the same staffing shortages many other employers are seeing.
“We have more openings than we’ve had in years past and I believe part of that is because of the pandemic and the current situation we’re in,” said King.
They’ve taken to social media like Facebook and YouTube to recruit people with a passion for kids. There is a starting pay boost this year to $14.16 an hour for high school graduates, and $12.14 an hour for those without a diploma. Hours are flexible, and King says, “You won’t smell like french fries.”
King says she is optimistic they can meet the hiring goal in the last month before school begins.
“I absolutely love working for Adventures Plus, it’s awesome,” said King. “The people I work with are amazing. I think that’s above and beyond what any wage can give.”
Anoka-Hennepin schools are looking to fill a number of other positions for the school year. To find out more about them and to apply on-line, go to: www.ahschools.us and click on the employment button.
