Restaurants are serving up opportunity for America’s young people

DID YOU KNOW that 1.5 million people between the ages of 16 and 19 work in restaurants? That’s one-third of all working teenagers in the U.S.

For 1 in 3 people, working in a restaurant is their first paid job, which helps them earn money to pay for school and gain valuable skills to advance their careers.

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Flexibility

1 in 4 restaurant employees are students. The industry provides employees with the flexibility that allows work to fit into their busy lives. It is no wonder then that restaurants are the nation’s largest employer of teens.

Achieve and Advance

Many students who start in the restaurant industry also stay and advance in the restaurant industry. 71% of employees 18 to 24 land a more lucrative job in the business after their first job.

Jumpstart a Career

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s ProStart program is one of the largest industry-supported career technical education programs in the nation, empowering students to achieve long term, successful careers in the restaurant and foodservice sector.

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