A part-time job can help give a teenager some real responsibility, a better understanding of money and an opportunity to save up for the things they want.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, up to two-thirds of teens are engaged in the workforce at some level. So is this a good thing? Like most things in life, there are pluses and minuses. It really depends on each individual student’s circumstances and whether their schedule can handle an extra commitment.

The best advice we can give is to talk to your teen and weigh up the situation together. Here are some of the pros and cons:

The upside:

• A part-time job gives your teen the chance to learn responsibility, independence, the value of work (and money), how to work effectively with others, along with some new skills too.
• Many teenagers also want to work so they can have their own income and independence.
• Research shows most teenagers get satisfaction from having a job and the benefits employment brings—including forming new friendships

The downside:

• Work can have a negative impact on education if it eats into study time.
• Working can also intrude on extracurricular activities and time available to spend with friends and family.