KCEN (WACO) - They call them generation jobless. The unemployment rate for workers under age 24 is double that of older Americans, and young Central Texans aren't sure about the future. They say they want to start adulthood off on the right foot, but for many the economy isn't letting them.
It's busy in the University of Mary Hardin Baylor student lounge. Big dreams here. Junior Ann Marie Millican says she wants to work with kids.
"I love helping people," said Millican.
Sophomore James Griffith, a minister.
"Yeah, I really am," said Griffith about his excitement for the future.
But they say they try to focus on today. The future can get you worried.
"I know it's coming up but I just feel like I'll get really stressed out," said Millican.
The current economic times are not kind to young people. The unemployment rate for those under the age of 24 is 17 percent. With this economy, you need more.
"The college degree is not a slam dunk on a successful career," said Don Owens with University of Mary Hardin Baylor Career Services.
Workers with years of experience now want the same jobs. Advisors say the most important thing a college student can do is get internships and real world-experience while in school. That way they can compete with workers with years under their belt.
If it's been a couple years since you graduated and still don't have a job, that could hurt you. Recruiters say for new grads, the more recent the better, since they assume their skills are fresher.
22-year-old Vanessa Garcia will graduate in May with a degree in nursing. Her boyfriend is getting his masters in special education. They say they know the way it is.
"It's not as sudden as people make it seem, like you graduate and then you get a job," said Garcia.
"It's great to be real smart but it's also, it's what you know, but also who you know," said boyfriend Ricky Lopez.
But their dreams aren't any less real.
"It seems so far away but....I'm ready," said Garcia on graduation.
Reporter/Photographer: Joshua Skurnik
