The end of working Saturdays?

A new study suggests that teenagers are ditching old-fashioned Saturday jobs because of their fear of failure in their studies. Instead of focusing on enhancing their extra-curricular activities through part-time work, 16 and 17-year olds are solely focused on their studies, a new report from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) revealed. The report showed the number of teenagers combining part-time work with studies has halved from 42% in 1996 to only 18% last year. Over half of youngsters said they want “to concentrate on their studies” instead of taking up a Saturday job. However, it should also be remembered that the research from the UKCES also found out that 66% of employers rate work experience as a critical or significant factor in recruitment.