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Prospective lifeguards practice deep-water saves during a certification class at Wichita Northwest High School.
Teenagers and young adults are opting for year-round work, making traditional summer jobs increasingly harder to fill.
WICHITA, Kansas During a normal year, Brian Hill doesn’t have much trouble hiring enough lifeguards to staff Wichita’s six public swimming pools.
Not in this pandemic year.
“Usually I’m about 80% staffed by February,” said Hill, Wichita’s aquatics director. “This year, I was about 10% staffed.”
Lifeguarding took a hit last summer, when the COVID-19 pandemic closed most gyms, water parks and community pools. High school and college students who would normally work as guards took the summer off or found other jobs. Training classes were cancelled. So were junior lifeguard programs for 11- to 14-year-olds. ....

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