Boston Business Journal, August 2024
I have three boys, all of whom are now legal adults and gainfully employed — one of them living entirely on his own. But looking back to their early teenage years, it wasn’t clear to me and my husband that they were on the path towards self-sufficiency. What saved us and them? The summer job.
The oldest boy is the most responsible, but he’s not much of a scholar and wasn’t sure about college. His first job, as a lifeguard at our local YMCA, gave him a sense of accomplishment and the confidence to pursue a degree in criminal justice. His brother, a bright kid but very shy, got his first job at a local hospital, transporting patients. The people skills and sense of pride that he developed led to a permanent position. The youngest boy was a good student, but had little motivation to pursue a career, especially after the isolation during Covid-19. But his first internship, at the New England Aquarium, showed him how his passion for the ocean could be a lifelong pursuit as a marine-biology major.
These early-employment experiences filled a gap for each of our boys — whether it be aspirations to go to college, developing soft skills, or seeing a career pathway. Research evidence from summer jobs programs in Boston and other cities shows that having a summer job improves a range of long-term outcomes for youth. For example, in Boston teens are more likely to graduate high school and enroll in college, less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system and have a greater chance of being employed in the years after having a job through the program.
