Abstract:
The focus of this research based study is the full-time secondary student who is also participating in part-time paid employment. This increasing phenomenon attracts both male and female adolescents equally. The assumption that this working experience is intrinsically 'good' for the students is questioned, as is the awareness of the schools to this new lifestyle. This paper includes a pilot study which involved a group of Melbourne students who responded to a questionnaire about the types of jobs they were involved in, their workplace experiences, their perceptions of the benefits of working and finally how they prioritised their commitments and 'managed' their lives.