High schoolers with an after-school job will be able to receive credits for their work starting next fall.

We agree. They should get credit for their work experience along with their paycheck. 

Any student who can successfully manage their school coursework and a part-time job is learning valuable life skills – ones you typically can’t get in a classroom.

Skills learned on the job help teens to develop independence, responsibility and a healthy work ethic. They figure out how to better manage their time, overcome shyness and how to handle money. They’ll learn to fill out a job application and what to expect during an interview.

Chris Reykdal, the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced the plan in early August and said it supports students’ long-term success in the workforce and in life. We agree with him.

When these young people head out into the real world, their work experience will be attractive to future employers. We hear time and again from our business community how hard it is to find experienced, reliable workers.

OSPI estimates that nearly 30% of high school students in Washington hold down jobs.

To earn a high school diploma, students must earn 17 credits in core subjects aligned with university admission requirements, complete a graduation pathway and meet personalized pathway requirements (three credits), and earn four elective credits – for a total of 24 credits.

Job-related credits would count toward the elective requirement.

Students 16 years and up – typically juniors and seniors – would earn one credit for 360 hours worked, or 0.5 for 180 hours worked. 

Students will be allowed to earn up to four elective credits through work experience, and no more than two of those credits may be earned in a year.

To get their credits, students will be required to complete a form and provide verification of employment to their school.

The plan takes effect not this fall but next, during the 2023-24 school year.

We applaud the move to give students an opportunity to earn high school credits for their outside-of-school jobs. It empowers young adults and helps set them on the path to becoming responsible, self-supporting adults and contributing members of our society.

Getting credit for work hours will encourage more teens to hone basic and critical job skills gained through work experience and, perhaps, a better appreciation for their school subjects too.