The bad news: The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) estimated that there will be a 22 percent hiring decrease for the graduating class of 2009 as compared to 2008. "Our current survey shows that college hiring is as affected by the economy as [are] other types of hiring," said Marilyn Mackes, NACE's executive director.
The good news: As college graduates start to ponder which tapestries to hang in their parent's basement, they can be sure that living among moth balls and dusty prom photos is not their only option. On March 31, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which will triple the size of the AmeriCorps and double the size of the Peace Corps programs.
"I congratulate the House on passing the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act," said President Barack Obama in a March 31 press release. "This is legislation that will usher in a new era of service in America, and I look forward to signing it into law when I return to Washington."
According to New Hampshire's City Year recruiter Ted Wing, 18 City Year sites across the country have seen a 300 percent increase in applications compared to last year.
"Obama has definitely inspired young people to volunteer either on the local or national level," said Wing.
However, despite the increase in applications, Wing explained that the NH City Year continues to face challenges when it comes to filling spaces. New Hampshire students tend to leave the area after graduation in order to explore.
Sophia Weeks, a UNH junior, served as a City Year volunteer in Philadelphia after high school because it allowed her the time to decide what the next best move would be. "Public service is great," said Weeks. "A lot of people think that AmeriCorps is about helping others, but you end up growing so much yourself."
The increase from 75,000 to 250,000 AmeriCorps volunteers will take place over the course of eight years. Changes in AmeriCorps will not only call for 18 to 24 year olds as it has in the past, but rather an array of ages who will be awarded with educational grants for their service.
Sixth to 12th graders will have the chance to partake in a Summer of Service which will provide $500 education awards, a Semester of Service program for high school students to engage in service-learning, and a Youth Empowerment Zones for secondary students and out-of-school youth.
The Silver Scholars program proposes that individuals 55 and older will be able to volunteer 350 hours of service to receive a $1,000 education which can be transferred to child or grandchild.
"The idea is get people to understand that they can serve the country without joining the military," said Janet Boyer, a communication relation specialist for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps division.
2008 UNH graduate Dan O'Hara is currently serving for the NCCC division where he is working on a series of projects in Alabama. O'Hara faced challenges when he was working for FEMA with victims of Hurricane Gustav. Because of FEMA's disorganized response to Hurricane Katrina, those affected by Gustav were wary of any federal involvement.
"We had to show people that this was a different FEMA and there was still hope," said O'Hara.
O'Hara supported the augmentation of government service programs saying that additional funding is needed. Upon arriving in Alabama, a class that would have prepared volunteers to reacts faster to disaster relief was cut due to funding.
Similar to O'Hara, UNH Peace Corps representative Bob Miller supports the legislation to increase government volunteer programs. By 2011, Peace Corps intends to have 16,000 volunteers worldwide; an increase that will double the program as a whole. According to a White House press release, the goal of expanding the Peace Corps is to help overall foreign relations. By showing its best face, America will "set up an America's Voice Initiative to deploy Americans who are fluent speakers of local languages for public diplomacy, [and to] extend opportunities for older individuals such as teachers, engineers, and doctors to serve overseas."
Though Miller did touch on the idealistic aspects of public service, he recognized the practicality that the program offers for students graduating from college.
"Students approaching me have mentioned the economy," said Miller.
UNH professor of anthropology Courtney Kurlanska served in the Peace Corps after graduating college because she said that she was done with school and needed time to figure out what she wanted to pursue. Though Kurlanska supported the increasing attention to AmeriCorps and Peace Corps, she was worried that the program's standards may start slipping.
"I'm concerned with the expansion because they tried to expand before and people ended up dropping out," said Kurlanska. However, for those pursuing the Peace Corps Kurlanska said, "Enjoy your time and make sure you're committed for the right reasons."
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