When I was at school, I was advised to spend my weekends going to work. At the age of 11, I had a paper round: delivering newspapers from door to door. Then I turned to a Saturday job in a supermarket: putting the goods on the shelves in order and working at the checkout.
Today in the UK children are allowed to work from the age of 13, and many children take up part-time jobs. ① It's a taste of independence. ② Sometimes it's also a useful thing to put on their resume (简历). ③ More than that, it teaches them valuable lessons about working with adults and also about managing their money. ④
Some research has shown that not taking on a Saturday or holiday job could be bad for a person later on. A study by the UK Commission on Employment (就业) and Skills found that not doing part-time work at school age had been criticized (批评) by employers' organizations because they haven't prepared for full-time employment. Besides, a recent survey shows that the number of schoolchildren in the UK with a part-time job has fallen by a fifth in the past five years.
So, does this mean that British teenagers are now more afraid of hard work? Probably not. Some experts think that young people feel going out to work will influence their performance at school. They are under more pressure now to study hard and get good exam results. However, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association (协会) of School and College Leaders, said, "Part-time work is a good way to help young people learn skills and abilities that they will need in their working lives."
In fact, many young people like to do part-time work because it gives them a sense of freedom. One 13- year-old girl called Rachel, who has a Saturday job in a shop, told the BBC that "I enjoy my job because I'm making money and it helps my confidence speaking to people and socializing with people I work with." That seems like something worth getting up for on a Saturday morning. Then, do you do a part-time job?
