London - Children who get part-time jobs during their school holidays boost their wage packets later in life, a new study claims.
A new study has found teens who work over the summer gain a significant competitive advantage when they enter the world of work as adults.
Even working in low-skilled jobs, such as a fast food restaurant such as McDonalds, can be a benefit when it comes to getting a well-paid job.
Developing early knowledge of the working world and how to manage in it, they are more likely to find good employment and earn more money in the future, said the study by the University of British Columbia, Canada.
Study co-author Marc-David Seidel said: ''Parents may think that their kids could do better than a job at the local fast food joint. But our study shows even flipping burgers has value - particularly if it leads to part-time work later during school term.”
Professor Seidel and his team found teens in part-time jobs progress to better-suited careers since the early exposure to work helps them hone their preferences.
They enhance their soft skills, acquire better references and learn how to job-hunt more successfully - establishing wider career networks.
The more hours that 15-year-olds work, particularly during the school term when they have to learn to manage their time, the better their career prospects, said Seidel.
The study showed benefits arose from working up to as much as 33 hours per week during the school year or 43 hours during summer.
Researchers used data from a study of nearly 250 000 Canadian youngsters, looking at their work history over a decade beginning at age 15 and ending at 25.
Seidel said: “Adolescent labour has been stigmatised as exploitative with many parents opting to put their kids in summer camp rather than summer jobs.
“However, our research shows that working can offer educational and developmental opportunities that prepare adolescents for the real world.”
The study is published in the journal Research in the Sociology of Work. - Daily Mail