From Classroom to Career: The Hidden Power of Teenage Work Experience

By Anthony Mann, OECD Senior Policy Analyst

Faced with a competitive job market, the journey from classroom to career can be daunting. While in some countries, internships, part-time jobs and voluntary roles are an integral component to student development, in others only a fraction of people complete some form of work experience by age 15. This lack of engagement with the world of work can have a profound impact. According to a new OECD research review, teenagers who miss out on work experience are likely to earn lower wages in worse jobs in later life.

Out of 47 longitudinal studies reviewed by the OECD, 40 revealed that kids who get some experience of work while still in school have better employment outcomes in adulthood, with a salary boost of 5-10% not uncommon. In contrast, those who miss out on early engagement with the workplace are more likely to experience unemployment in early adulthood after statistical controls were used to check that the results were not distorted by gender, social background or academic achievement. What’s more, while it’s possible that some benefits link to the student characteristics such as personal confidence, studies show that young people who are required to volunteer in the community gain from in the same way as classmates who opted in.

The findings are obviously concerning, especially as promoting student engagement with the world of work outside of the classroom is relatively simple to achieve, with numerous schemes and programmes designed to support student engagement with businesses and organisations. Teenagers can experience work while still in full-time general education by working in part-time or holiday job, volunteering in the community or through a short internship or placement managed by their school. In all three, they have the chance to find out what it is like to be in work, completing tasks under the supervision of an adult who is not a parent or teacher often over an extended period of time.

By taking the first steps into work, students meet new people, have new experiences and learn new skills, giving them invaluable insights into future career possibilities. Despite this, many countries are failing to adequately promote work experience as a key part of student development.

By age 15, around half of teenagers in Spain, Italy and Brazil have not interned, volunteered or worked part-time. In Australia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia and the Slovak Republic, the proportion is closer to one quarter. Overwhelmingly, girls are less likely than boys to work, putting them at a disadvantage.

This is despite the widespread recognition amongst students of the benefits of work experience. For example, a recent OECD survey of people aged 19-26 in Madrid overwhelmingly confirmed that teenage work experience had helped them in “planning and preparing for working life”: 57% of former part-time workers viewed the experience as “very helpful”, as did 41% who interned and 34% who did voluntary work. Very few felt these experiences were of no help at all.

The lack of work experience opportunities in many countries is also despite employers repeatedly complaining that young people lacking experience is a major barrier to them entering the jobs market upon leaving education. Work experience gives students something to put on their CV and to talk about during a first interview. It helps young people understand what employers value, how to behave in a workplace and how recruitment processes work. Roles can also develop technical skills and promote teamwork, problem-solving and communication with customers and colleagues, and boost connections and confidence – all vital for success in a competitive jobs market. That said, while overall the potential benefits of work experience are clear, individual experiences can vary considerably. Much depends on what the work entails and how closely it aligns with career plans.

School systems should aim to help all students in general (as well as vocational) education get first-hand experience of work as part of their studies. In the years before they gain extended experience of being in work, teenagers need to thoroughly explore their career interests through activities like career talks, job fairs and workplace visits which start bringing the world of work to life. Effective schools help students plan, pursue and partake in work experience as a crucial element of their education journey. They recognise that if students are left to find internship or volunteering placements alone, then outcomes will be extremely mixed. If schools fail to support all students, then family social connections will inevitably be the driving force for placements. This helps drive inequality and cements socio-economic division.

It’s clear that many countries can do better – and must do better – if they want to ensure all students get a fair and equal chance of fulfilling their potential. First-hand experience of the workplace is only one element to building an equitable education system. But for policymakers hoping to make a positive difference, ensuring work placements becomes a common experience for all students, is a practical and relatively easy process to make a reality.