Even while operating under the shelter-in-place mandate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local companies and institutions are continuing to hire students as employees and interns.

With business and campus closures as a result of the shelter-in-place ordinances, around 40% of students are unemployed, according to the Spring 2020 COVID-19 survey. However, there are still several local employment opportunities available for students during the pandemic.

The De Anza College job fair, held over Zoom, had over 50 different local employers looking for students to fill positions.

Opportunities ranged from working from home to in person fieldwork.

Some jobs included in the online job fair were caring for children or the elderly.

The JEI Learning Center is accommodating students who prefer to work from home during the pandemic and is looking for part-time math tutors to help students over Zoom.

Students would be working 16 to 20 hours a week at $16 an hour and working with children ranging from 3rd to 9th grade said Mira Kim, director of JEI Learning Center.

The Child Care Careers agency is also hiring students, who are assigned to local child care centers in the Bay Area as teacher aids. The positions do not require prior experience.

Upon hiring, students would be trained for the position and are able to set their own schedule for how many hours and where they want to work, said Debbie Kearns, regional recruiter for Child Care Careers.

“At care centers, temperatures are recorded and health is monitored for both the staff and children, to ensure a safe work environment,” Kearns said.

While the De Anza campus is closed, the Foothill-De Anza police department is still looking to hire police student aids.

“With the virus situation, our primary focus is the security of the campuses,” said Daniel Accosta, Foothill-De Anza chief of police. “Police student aids are responsible for monitoring and reporting any activity on the campuses.”

In order to qualify to be a police student aid, students must be enrolled in 12 units, must be at least 18-years-old, must have a valid driver’s license and a 2.0 cumulative GPA, according to Acosta.

To ensure the safety of student employees, Acosta said masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment is available.

The Occupational Training Institute at De Anza offers a variety of programs and services that help students train and prepare for joining the workforce.

Joseph Lipsig, comptechS computer lab coordinator for the OTI, acknowledged that with shutdowns, the school has been unable to conduct hands-on training with students, but still encourages students to seek the services OTI provides.

While traditional academic practices may give students the technical knowledge to join the workforce, learning how to approach occupational situations are equally important skills students need to learn, Lipsig said.

Despite an uncertain upcoming fall quarter and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, students are still able to receive work.