The nation-wide focus on increasing college completion rates has put a lot of emphasis on strategies to increase financial resources so that students can work less. Though certainly worth pursuing, such policies will be difficult to implement on a broad scale in the current economic environment. And even if they are viable, we should be careful not to lose sight of the potential benefits of student employment. For many students, a positive work experience can facilitate, rather than derail, educational and vocational progress. We need to understand and appreciate what it looks like when working works, so that we can make a concerted effort to transform employment opportunities into drivers of student success. The Forum for Youth Investment (2011, November). Ready 21, Credentialed by 26 Series, #4: When Working Works: Employment and Postsecondary Success. Washington, D.C.: The Forum for Youth Investment.

http://www.readyby21.org/resources/credentialed-26-series-when-working-works-employment-postsecondary-success