Parker youth job fair aims to connect teens with summer work

The Parker Regional Chamber calendar put the CRIT ED&T Summer Youth Job Fair in front of Parker families on Friday, May 1, as La Paz County teens looked for a first paycheck, a summer slot, or a foothold with a local employer. In a county of 16,557 residents, with 352 employer establishments and an employment rate of 38.4%, one small recruiting event carried more weight than its brief listing suggested.

The job fair mattered because CRIT Employment Development & Training Program already serves as one of the clearest entry points into work on the Colorado River Indian Reservation and in the Parker area. The department says it operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers employment services to qualified tribal members, along with help on resumes, cover letters, job applications, GED support, and basic document needs such as ID assistance. Its 14-computer lab gives students a place to work on GED prep, typing, computer courses, and internet access before they ever sit down with an employer.

That matters in a labor market where the path into work is often personal and immediate. CRIT ED&T’s staff profile names Acting Director and Case Worker Kaye Antone, Office Administrator Madolyn Brenner, and Office Assistant Deaun Johnson as part of the team helping participants move toward jobs, driver’s permits or licenses, and other work-readiness goals. The department also runs a Summer Youth Experience Program for high school and college students, plus a 90-day Adult Work Experience track aimed at turning short-term placement into permanent employment.

The timing also landed inside a broader policy window. The Arizona Tribal Workforce Development Board said its draft Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act local plan was open for public comment from April 21 through May 21, putting the Parker event in the middle of a live regional conversation about education and career-building services. For tribal and county workers alike, that means youth hiring is not just a one-day recruiting push; it is part of how the region is trying to shape its future labor force.

La Paz County’s economic profile explains the urgency. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 13.5% of adults age 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the county’s 2024 median household income was $49,478. Arizona Commerce Authority materials show nonfarm employment in La Paz County rose by 500 jobs from 2011 to 2020, with gains from 2014 to 2019 led by Construction and Leisure and Hospitality. Those are the same sectors that typically absorb summer and entry-level workers, making a youth job fair a practical bridge between school and the county’s seasonal economy.