Considering the average age of an employee in Colorado is 48 years old, it’s no surprise that many professionals are hesitant to work alongside high-school students in the office. The truth is, interacting with students in a professional work setting is not as unusual and challenging as you might think.

Young people bring energy, enthusiasm, and a desire to learn and grow that can re-energize your day-to-day and bring an important perspective to your work. And, moreover, it can lead to higher productivity  and be financially and personally rewarding. 

We’ve found that if you give a high-school student an opportunity to mature, they’ll rise to the occasion! Many of our employer partners, such as Pinnacol Assurance and Plante Moran, talk about just how much that young person has energized their workforce. 

Without further ado, here are the top-three reasons to hire a Gen Z employee:

• They’re digital natives. It’s easier to train and onboard young people with the technology your organization uses. At CareerWise, our apprentices help with IT-related support and even help guide our social media posts for our student audiences.

• They energize your office. Research shows that a diverse workforce leads to increased creativity and innovation. By incorporating Gen Z employees into your office, you’re revitalizing your workforce with fresh opinions, humor, and life experiences that no other employees can provide. Not to mention, you’re creating mentorship opportunities for existing, tenured employees that help them grow critical leadership and training skills in a low-risk way.

• They’re committed to causes larger than themselves. Gen Z workers care about company culture more than many preceding generations. They’re seeking opportunities to work for employers that prioritize work-life balance, face-to-face communication, and value-centric leadership. Furthermore, this generation demonstrates a unique level of confidence and belief that they can create meaningful change. What does this mean for employers? Gen Z workers will show up in your workplace ready to give back to your culture, your community and ultimately, your customers. By implementing a modern youth apprenticeship program in your company, you’re demonstrating a commitment to larger causes that, in turn, attracts and retains Gen Z workers for the long-haul.

Like many of our employer partners who have apprentices doing meaningful, productive work for their companies (youth apprenticeship is not philanthropy–it provides a financial ROI), CareerWise itself has benefitted from the tech expertise, energy, and commitment that our Gen Z employees have brought to our workplace. But don’t just take our word for it—check out more of our employer experiences here!