El Camino College is a school with a diverse community of students and faculty. This includes students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. The school has various accommodations and opportunities for students who find themselves in need of additional financial support, including employment.

The El Camino College Union Editorial Board encourages more students to look at employment opportunities on campus, such as Federal Work study.

El Camino offers a variety of employment opportunities for students at locations across the campus from working as a tutor to working in the bookstore. While working, students gain the benefits that each job provides their student workers. These student workers are paid minimum wage.

According to document disclosing “Temporary Non-Classified and Student Workers Schedules,” as of Dec. 20, 2021, the pay rate for student workers is labeled $15 for “rate A” and $15.50 for “rate B.”

Surrounding businesses do pay more in the positions that students might be more likely to take. For instance, Indeed, an informational job searching website, shows under “Popular Roles” that Starbucks Baristas are paid $15.71 per hour and Store Managers are paid $16.61 per hour. However two “retail” roles on the site, cashier and customer service associate, make less than $14 per hour.

But students should work on campus since programs provided on campus accommodate class schedules and require no travel to any other location.

Student Worker Kelly Gordin, a receptionist for the Writing Center, told The Union that she was looking for a job, “but didn’t want to work outside of the school,” because of the possibility of interference with her education. She said that is when she was told about the Federal Work Study Program.

“I was able to apply, get it approved and get a job here in the Writing Center for about…15 hours a week, and I was able to get all my schoolwork done I was able to be in a place that… is able to help me with my schoolwork,” Gordin said.

The various student worker positions have also equipped students with skills that they take into their future careers.

The cadets for the El Camino Police Department have students enter their programs, with the end result of going into law enforcement.

El Camino College Police Chief Micheal Trevis said that when cadets graduate from El Camino, many of the cadets go onto learning at a four-year university, while others have been hired by local law enforcement agencies, such as the Torrance, Gardena and Hawthorne Police Departments.

“We have a lot of former cadets that this program helped to… accelerate their careers,” Trevis said.

Before COVID, Trevis said that the cadet program had between 15- 20 cadets. But at this time, there are around 8 cadets and would like to get the number back up.

The cadets also make $15 an hour as student workers, which Trevis says is the median among cadet programs.

The Federal Work Study program at El Camino College is a great resource, offering with flexible hours, reduces travel time between school and work and even facilitates skill growth for future employment.

There are jobs waiting and students should take advantage of these opportunities.