Jump Start Your Teen's Job Skills This Summer

Originally published in Urban Views Weekly (July 15, 2009)

School’s out for summer and high school students across the nation are celebrating breaks from homework, exams, and early morning classes. But while summer vacation is a good time to have fun, it’s also a good time for parents to encourage responsibility and a strong work ethic in their high school child.

In a 2006 report “Are They Really Ready to Work?” The Society for Human Resource Management in collaboration with the Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, reported that many employers are concerned about the lack of basic skills new workforce entrants bring to the job. Specific concerns include deficiencies in professionalism and communication skills.*

With no indication of improvement in 2009, Junior Achievement Worldwide, an organization dedicated to preparing young people to be successful in a global economy, reported in its Junior Achievement Innovation Initiative polling report, that a lack of life-skills and professionalism are a major source of concern for companies. “Specifically, a lack of life skills such as self-motivation, communication and social skills are seen as significant obstacles…” the report notes.**

Making the transition from school to work can be difficult. Even students who excel academically can struggle with applying the “softer” skills required for success in the workplace. The sooner a child is exposed to a “real” job, the sooner the child is able to develop important skills such as punctuality, communication skills, interpersonal/team building skills and the ability to follow directions.

In addition to building critical skills, students with practical work experience are better prepared to select (or deselect) professions and careers for the future. With real work experience, a child is able to navigate the career selection process with a more realistic perspective. For example, the idea of being a clothing buyer may sound appealing to someone who likes to shop. However, having a part-time job in retail quickly puts into perspective the idea that retail work hours are unconventional and could include working on weekends and holidays.

When considering summer employment options for your high school student, keep in mind that labor laws place restrictions on the work children can perform by limiting the number of work hours in a day and prohibiting certain hazardous work environments altogether. Children as young as fourteen years of age can be employed, and some states require an employment certificate, which can usually be obtained at your local public middle school or high school (also available while summer school is in session). For more information on laws and regulations related to the employment of youth go to http://www.youthrules.dol.gov/ .

If your child is not emotionally ready for the responsibility of a “real” job, consider a structured work assignment with a neighbor such as dog walking, yard work, or house cleaning. Explore opportunities at local churches or charitable organizations. Although these assignments are usually non-paid, they do provide an opportunity to develop similar skills as paid assignments. You may decide to supplement your child’s experience with a small stipend at the completion of the assignment. Parents who up the ante on household chores also help to make an impact on a child’s character and work ethic, but this does not compare to the experience of working for a third party, away from the unconditional support and forgiveness a parent usually provides.

Yes, summer vacations are for having fun and creating treasured memories, but it is also a great opportunity to build a strong work ethic that will benefit your child for a lifetime.

* Source: www.shrm.org
** Source: www.ja.org


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Did You Know?

JA Worldwide (Junior Achievement) provides in-school educational programs to children in grades K-12 through a network of volunteers and with business and educational partners. Junior Achievement in-school programs focus on entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy, while meeting many SOL requirements. Additionally, Junior Achievement financial literacy programs meet the planned financial literary graduation requirement for the state of Virginia. For more information on Junior Achievement go to http://www.ja.org/.