Balancing Work and Learning: Implications for Low-Income Students

Abstract

Over the past half century, the relationship between working and learning has changed in profound ways that have made it more difficult for students, especially students from low income backgrounds, to attain the right mix of work experience and schooling necessary to qualify for entry-level jobs with a future. The structural shift from an industrial to a post-industrial economy is at the root of this new set of problems. As a result of structural changes in the economy, the entry-level standard for most jobs has increased from high school to post-secondary education in combination with high-quality work experience. In the 1970s, three out of four jobs required a high school education or less; today, two out of three jobs require at least some post-secondary education or training. Thus, more education is required to launch a career.