Newspapers are scattered around the table and a student is seated with a highlighter in hand, ready to mark. As summer approaches, students seeking to earn extra money begin their quest to find a well-paying job.

Over the past few years, it has been noted that a majority of Hercules High School students tend to find jobs in the fast food industry.

"Most students are hired at In-N-Out, Jack in the Box, Round Table Pizza and Chucky Cheese, just to name a few," Hercules Middle School history teacher Lynda Cartwright said.

Some students, however, try to find challenging jobs that let them apply the skills they learn in school.

"We have had students find jobs at a variety of places, such as working for lawyers, dentists, banks, amusement parks, automobile centers and at retail stores," Cartwright explained.

While high school students continue to favor jobs in the fast food industry, both Cartwright and Teresa Hung, HHS Career Center volunteer, believe that health care will become one of the top growth industries.

"Nowadays, we have many students asking for nursing permits," said Joan Petroni, HHS work experience clerk.

The main reason for the change is the population's rising concern with health issues.

"The population is aging, baby-boomers are living longer, people are more health-conscious, and there are increased health issues," Cartwright said.

To get a better insight into health-related jobs, students sometimes get a chance to work with employees. In the past, Kaiser has had a school-to-career relationship with the district, where students were allowed to job-shadow workers. But now, if students want to participate in this kind of activity, they must arrange for it themselves -- the school no longer provides the opportunity.

One occupation that may not be familiar is "green jobs," which relate to solar energy, solar panels and ecology, and they can be relied on for the next few years.

"People are becoming more aware of energy shortage and the increase in population," Hung said. "They want to find ways to utilize the limited resources we have and reuse them."

To be fully prepared for these jobs, students are advised to take higher level classes in math and science, including biology and chemistry.

"Health care is flourishing. Degrees such as pre-med, nursing and bio-engineering require students to come ready with the background," Hung said. "If you do not do it during high school, then you have to do it during college, which requires more time and more money."

In general, a person working in these up-and-coming fields can earn a salary of approximately $50,000 to 60,000 per year. With specific jobs, salaries vary.

Jobs such as these provide students with transferable skills needed after high school graduation. The skills they use for the job, such as communication and organization, may be applied to any occupation.