In recent years, many secondary school students have been taking up part-time or summer jobs in restaurants or small retail shops, and I think this is a good trend.

Getting an early taste of what it takes to work for a living is good training for youngsters. Earning a living is hard, especially in an expensive city like Hong Kong, and realising this may help them learn to value their earnings more, and perhaps make them less wasteful.

Going to work can also sharpen the social skills of the future workforce. In a workplace, teenagers must communicate with their colleagues or attend to customers, some of whom may be difficult. Learning to interact with strangers would help students improve their communication skills and their confidence in facing unknown situations.