There's still room to grow, but a national study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds Minnesota teens are employed at higher rates than many of their peers across the country.
According to the "Kids Count" report, 42% of Minnesota's teens between the ages of 16-19 are working, compared to 26% of teens nationally. Still the employment numbers fall well below where they were more than a decade ago when 63% of the state's teenagers were working in 2000.
"It's important that young adults get access to these early work experiences," said Laura Speer of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. "These are the times when young people learn how to show up to work on time, how to work with a boss, how to work with
co-workers, how to deal with difficult customers, all those skills that are termed sort of soft skills."
More than one year into his first job, 17-year-old Sam Bray of Maple Grove is getting his first taste of the working world. Bray is employed at Culver's, and he's already picked up on the importance of doing a job right.
"Show up willing to work because people that don't do the job, they're the ones that aren't successful," said Bray.
Bray is one of about 15 teenagers who work at the Culver's in Maple Grove. Restaurant owner Doug Mueller regularly hires teenagers, and he's currently got 10 open positions.
Mueller believes the skills his employees acquire on the job, from guest interaction to order accuracy and problem solving, will ultimately help them become successful long-term.
"This business would not run without our younger people," said Mueller. "They're just wonderful with service, they're high energy, intelligent, fast learners."
Alexandra Renslo reporting
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14 окт 2024
