Teenage part-time working

Part-time work is a form of career development that can be expected to provide students with resources of value to their transitions into work. International research shows that teenagers who work part-time alongside their full-time studies can expect to do better when they entered the labour force as young adults. Studies suggest strongly that part-time work can help students to build technical and soft skills, develop social networks of value and enhance confidence in career planning. However, excessive working alongside full-time secondary education can be expected to impact negatively on academic achievement. This Policy Brief draws on evidence from PISA, national longitudinal studies and wider research literature to address three main questions: what are the likely impacts of part-time work on students’ future employment outcomes and why can benefits be expected?; what types of students are more likely to work part-time across the OECD?; how can schools optimise positive outcomes for young people?