DURHAM, N.C. -- The time to get a summer job is drawing closer, but some Durham teens and young adults got a head start Saturday morning.

The Durham Summer Work Youth Job Expo brought many of the city's notable companies to the Holton Career and Resource Center for interested job seekers to talk to. The event was specifically for Durham residents between the ages of 14 and 24. Organizers with Durham's Office of Economic and Workforce Development said more than 500 people registered.

The opportunities at the expo ranged from positions with city departments such as Durham Parks and Recreation to internships and apprenticeships with companies inside the Research Triangle Park, including GlaxoSmithKline and Biogen.

Office of Economic and Workforce Development Director Andre Pettigrew says it's important for Durham to invest not just in people moving to work at the RTP, but to natives who may have what it takes to make Durham a better city.

"It's great that we have people coming into our community, but I think it's equally important that we essentially provide skills, training, and support for the underemployed and unemployed in our community," said Pettigrew.

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