Working to find jobs for youths

Linda Nuttall Linda Nuttall has found bliss.

The self-described empty nester is the new Youth Employment Services coordinator at the Camarillo Boys & Girls Club.

“It’s filled my soul beyond measure,” Nuttall, 56, said.

Earlier this year, the mother of two grown sons and a teenage daughter accepted a parttime job at the club. Officials, taking advantage of her skills as a former social worker, asked her to work with teens in the educational programs Healthy Habits, Money Matters and Smart Moves—a drug and alcohol awareness club.

Having a flair for writing, Nuttall volunteered to produce the club’s electronic newsletter. She also helped in other departments, including Youth Employment Services.

When employment coordinator Estella Velasquez retired in July, Karin Hewlett, the club’s vice president of youth development, said Nuttall was the first person she thought of to replace Velasquez.

“She has a real bubbly personality,” Hewlett said “She’s dedicated; she believes in the Boys & Girls Club and helping the youth in the community. She’s a great asset to the club.”

Nuttall said Velasquez will be a “hard act to follow,” but she’s up to the challenge. Before motherhood, she was a social worker for 12 years in Los Angeles.

Her oldest son is a 2008 graduate of California State University Channel Islands. Another son is a junior at a San Diego university, and her daughter will be a senior at Adolfo Camarillo High School this fall. Nuttall’s husband, Richard, is a member of the club’s board of directors.

Nuttall’s goals are to continue preparing youths ages 14 to 21 for employment and finding them jobs. Nuttall is eager to talk in person with business owners in the community and to visit high schools and colleges, letting them know about the free employment service. For now, she’s in the office, organizing files and calling former clients to see if they need help.

About 26 youths come into the office at the back of the Boys & Girls Club each month looking for work. Nuttall said she tries to find them employment within a day or two.

From April through July, 89 applicants, all who applied, were matched with jobs, she said. Jobs can last a day or be long term. One-day jobs can lead to other employment opportunities that become long term, Nuttall said.

Many employers want to hire someone 18 or older, she said, while the average age of applicants is 16 to 17. The disparity doesn’t scare Nuttall.

“I like challenges,” she said.

The city of Camarillo finances the 40-year-old Youth Employment Services.