It's a cliche for a reason: Give a man fish, and eats for a day; teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime. And as summer jobs go, there are few student career resources as unique, and as entrepreneur-minded, as College Pro. 

It's a sticky situation for Gen-Y. Youth unemployment, according to Stats Can, is hovering around 14 per cent. Millenials, on the other hand, also demand a strong work-life balance, desire fulfillment from their career, and function best when contributing to communities, not corporations—something that, the Financial Post writes, makes them an excellent fit for small businesses.  

Which is why, for Millenials, College Pro's model fits. For one, they offer a supportive, entrepreneur-focused, student-centered environment: Their managers, for example, consist of mostly students and recent graduates. They deliver painting and window cleaning services that, while never sacrificing quality, allow their members to work directly within communities they care about. They're flexible enough to balance hectic student schedules and social commitments (glug!). And the earnings accumulated can help student become self-sufficient, whether that means paying off student loans, saving for the future or, heck, even stashing some beer money. (Hey, let's be realistic, here.) If you're really ambitious, try taking on a manager job with 'em.

But for its myriad benefits, College Pro, which offers summer jobs in seven Canadian provinces, isn’t just about painting and window cleaning.  It's about community work and career-building. Its painters and window cleaners, say the company, love working on homes, whether in painting entire houses, staining decks, cleaning windows or carrying groceries. And while it's easy to call such statements PR BS, they've got a point: Unlike desk jockeys, its painters and window cleaners get the chance to work among friends, neighbours, customers. And when business is built on real, human connections, they say, service goes above and beyond. 

And that ain't PR BS. College Pro, in its over 40 years of operations, is a student summer job institution, because they're run like a small business—like a corner store, food truck or indie record peddler, they're built on creating lasting relationships.

Throw in a commitment to environmental consciousness—it managers are trained on green products, application and disposal techniques in compliance with job-site safety regulations—and College Pro doesn't feel like a drag on your ethics, either. Because, hey, jobs aren't just about career-building.