Oak Hills: Hotspot for work

The last bell rings at 2:55 to excuse New Ulm high school students, kids rush through the halls to hopefully beat after-school traffic. Many of these kids are Oak Hills employees trying to get to work before their shift starts at 3:15.

Oak Hills Living Center is a hotspot for New Ulm high school students looking for a job. There are various types of jobs available at Oak Hills consisting of TMA, CNA, NA, RN, and dietary aid. This makes getting a position pretty easy. More than 40 high school students are employed through oak hills. This number does not recognize all of the past graduated high school kids either

When Nessa Peters, an employee at Oak Hills, was asked why she thought so many people work here she said, “because it’s fun working with residents, spending time with them, and helping them through everyday activities. It also pays well.”

The facility has 94 rooms throughout the building. Floors are divided into sections consisting of assisted living, short-term rehabilitation, and oak view apartments. This calls for many employees and lots of variety.

Kristen Bakken, an employer at New Ulm Oak Hills, was asked why she thought so many high school students work here and she said, “I would say the most common reason why high school students work at Oak Hills is their peers. Generally, it is word of mouth from their friends or classmates. Oak Hills also does a good job of introducing the healthcare field along with working with the elderly. We additionally do a good job of working with students’ schedules.”

Oak hills is a hotspot for jobs not only because there are many positions and a variety of jobs within but also because many of New Ulm’s high school kids’ peers work here making the job more enjoyable. So next time you are rushing to get out the door to beat the traffic to get home keep in mind many of these kids are rushing to get to work also.