Michigan Teens are Clocking In: How to Hire and Inspire Summer Workers for Seasons to Come

For many teenagers, the classic summer experience is class-free but on-the-clock. In Michigan, about 250,000 teens are ready to apply for summer jobs, as 16-19-year-olds nationwide enter the workforce in rising numbers.  

This year, Michigan  students who want a summer job have extraordinarily good chances of finding one.  
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Recent data from the Michigan Center for Data Analytics shows that teen employment levels are dropping after reaching 23.6% in the summer of 2020. With nearly half of Michigan teens predicted to look for work this summer, only 11.6% of teens will come away empty-scheduled, down from 13.7% in 2023.  
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Dave Dittenber, a Bay City restaurateur who operates several local eateries in mid-Michigan as the President & CEO of Downtown Restaurants Investments (DRI), has spent over 25 years in the industry, and he’s excited to see the teenage workforce recover after plummeting during the pandemic.  

A long-time supporter of the Michigan Hospitality Foundation, Dittenber is actively involved with Michigan ProStart, a national program that provides culinary training to high school students via career centers, and DRI often hires local students out of these programs into Bay City restaurants.  

The number one thing is, you need to be flexible. - Dave Dittenber, President & CEO of Downtown Restaurants Investment

“We just had a couple of kids from the ISD that did a declaration day, like they do with sports, and the kids declared to come work for us outside of their program,” he says.  
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DRI recently helped a ProStart student, who worked for the company through the program's work-based learning rotation, take the next step in his career and hired him as a full-time apprentice.  
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When sharing his advice for hiring and managing teenage restaurant workers, the word that Dittenber uses most often is “flexible.” These teenagers are busy too, he points out.  

“The number one thing is, you need to be flexible with them. Because if they’re going to come out and want to work, they’re also, most of them, taking classes or playing sports. They still have other things they’re doing,” he says.  

Be willing to accommodate different schedules, he says, to give younger workers a successful - and repeatable – summer.  
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“If you play it correctly, you can also get them for seasons to come,” he says.  
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Dittenber also stresses the importance of mentorship for young workers who are considering the industry for many seasons in the future. “I don’t know if I would have ever stayed in it,” he says, admitting that his first job in the dish pit wasn’t what he wanted for the rest of his life. “But I was lucky enough to have a mentor, even before these programs, to kind of help guide me.” 
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Time, however, is a major constraint for most owners, who are juggling all the responsibilities of running a business. Dittenber says he’s learned to empower his current employees in leadership roles, which starts a positive cycle.  By handing over day-to-day responsibilities to rising employees and investing in their professional development, Dittenber says he's seen these employees learn new skills, grow as leaders, and become mentors in turn. "They start to develop future leaders within their organization and in the  industry." 

In Michigan, there are many opportunities for new hospitality professionals to expand their skills. With ProStart programs, apprenticeships, and now the Hospitality Training Institute of Michigan, which is a true “higher education” opportunity for the industry, Dittenber says it’s easier than ever to plan a career and make professional strides in Michigan’s hospitality industry.  
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Whether or not teenagers end up pursuing long-term careers in hospitality, however, restaurants can still be an ideal incubator for the soft skills and life experiences that translate into success, no matter what industry young professionals ultimately choose.  

While waiting tables and washing dishes, young workers learn effective communication skills, gain confidence, practice professionalism, work with a diverse range of people, and demonstrate an impressive work ethic.

These are all traits that are simply foundational to the hospitality industry – and can take a person far in life.

“9 out of 10 people that I meet in the CEO or Executive level of the industry, including all major CEOs of corporations, all started in a dish pit,” Dittenber says. 
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Hiring underage workers necessarily involves additional legal requirements and responsibility on the part of the employer. Before allowing minors to work at their business, employers should be aware of the legal hours and work permit processes. Visit the MRLA Legal Center for resources addressing youth employment and other labor issues. For further questions, contact the MRLA Legal Center at [email protected] or reach out to an MRLA Legal Partner for assistance, with MRLA Members receiving the first 15 minutes of legal consultation free. ​