Question 1

What can I expect from my experience as an employer?

Accepted Answer

Throughout the duration of the Summer Works employment program, employers will be offered continuous support from program staff. Program staff serve as the primary point of contact for employers and are able to help navigate the program and create a positive experience for you as an employer. Human Resources will also be available to help troubleshoot issues that may arise.

Employing a young person for the summer youth employment program is a rewarding experience! New situations may arise, but program staff will help you navigate them. Please note that this program is part of a county-wide partnership and employers will be required to travel for a small number of programmatic events.

Employers can expect to build a relationship with their intern. At the same time, they will practice their supervisory and mentorship abilities while providing guidance and support as their intern completes tasks, learns valuable skills, and grows as an emerging professional.

Question 2

What are the expectations for employers?

Accepted Answer

Employers are expected to provide at least 20 hours of work per week from mid June - to mid August at a rate of $15.00 or $17.00 per hour.  All dates for each year can be found under Key Dates on the employer section of the website.

Employers are responsible for compensation. Employers are required to attend Employer Orientation and Internship Interview Day during the first week in May. In addition, there are several activities and events throughout the summer that employers are invited to attend.

Employers are also expected to provide supervision and mentorship of youth employees during the employment period.

Note that four of the 20 weekly hours goes towards Professional Development; we ask that employers cover the cost of these sessions and be flexible with scheduling around them. Program staff do take attendance and will let employers know of any absences.  Theses sessions are held on Fridays from 10am-2pm.

Question 3

Can my business or organization offer more than one position?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can request to hire more than one young person. Please be clear in the application if you will have multiple supervisors for the youth employees.

Question 4

How much will it cost me to hire a youth for SummerWorks?

Accepted Answer

The hourly pay rate is either $15.00 or $17.00 per hour based on completion of a high school degree or equivalent, plus a small amount of taxes equating to roughly $0.78 per hour. The total employer cost is approximately $3,000-$3,400 per youth employee based on a 20-hour work week.

Question 5

Do you provide stipends for agencies who want to participate, but are unable the full cost of hiring a young person?

Accepted Answer

If you are a business or organization who would like to participate but has limited funding, please fill out our application form and make note of your monetary limitations in the "additional information" section. SummerWorks works hard to be able to provide subsidies to organizations who are unable to meet the monetary contribution. These subsidies are based on a variety of factors, but are often awarded to nonprofits and socially oriented missions.

Question 6

What kind of skills can I expect from a SummerWorks intern?

Accepted Answer

Every youth intern hired through SummerWorks will have attended four weeks of Professional Development/work-readiness training prior to interviewing. Professional Development includes training in communication, interviewing, professionalism, and networking to prepare youth to make positive contributions to your organization. Youth interns come with a variety of skill sets and experiences; for some, it is their first job, while for others, they’ve had some professional experience. We encourage employers to be adaptable in terms of work for their interns, offering both support and more challenging work as needed. In addition to training, all youth interns will have reliable transportation and necessary identification for employment eligibility.

Question 7

Who is the Employer of Record for SummerWorks?

Accepted Answer

If a youth is placed in a position on the U-M campus they will be employed as a temporary staff member at U-M. If a youth is placed at another agency within the county, MichiganWorks Southeast will serve as the employer of record.

Question 8

I am not on a bus line; will this exclude me from being a SummerWorks Employer?

Accepted Answer

No, Summer Works will make efforts to match you with youth employees who have a means of transportation to your work site. Based on your business location, on-demand individual transportation options may be made available to youth employees. Please be sure to include your work site location as part of your application form.

Question 9

How are youth interns selected for the SummerWorks program?

Accepted Answer

All young adults aged 16-24 living in or attending school in Washtenaw County are eligible to apply. After youth are accepted, they are placed into a cohort with a Career Advisor or Success Coach. They will begin weekly Professional Development and then attend an interview day with employers. This is an opportunity for both employers and young adults to find best match for positions.

Question 10

Are the youth interns able to stay on after the SummerWorks period ends?

Accepted Answer

Yes! If employers have the resources and want to hire their intern as a staff member, they will need to do an official hiring. The internship with MichiganWorks Southeast will be terminated after the final pay period.

Question 11

Will Michigan Works Southeast cover the insurance for youth employees?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as a part of Michigan Works programming, youth are covered under MWSE liability insurance.

Question 12

What are the workers compensation insurance requirement and must I comply?

Accepted Answer

Employers are required to have workers compensation insurance that covers medical costs and lost wages for employees who are injured or become ill on the job. All Summer Works employers must comply with workers compensation requirements. If you are unable to comply with these requirements please consider participating in the program through providing an in-kind donation. The donation is tax-deductible. To learn more, please email us at mail@summerworks.info.

Question 13

Can my youth intern work more than 16 hours in a week?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely; if employers have the resources to pay their intern for additional hours, we encourage this.

If an intern is under the age of 18, they can not exceed 40 hours/week in accordance with Michigan youth labor laws.

Question 14

Is it okay if my youth intern does not get their 16 hours due to holidays/sick/vacation?

Accepted Answer

If possible, we encourage employers to work with their interns to reschedule the hours in a mutually agreeable arrangement.

Question 15

When should I expect to receive my invoices for employee hours worked?

Accepted Answer

Invoices will be paid in 3 batches. Each batch of invoices will cover 2 pay periods. The invoices will be sent out as stated on the table below

Frequently Asked Questions