The student workforce plays a substantial part in several low-paying industries such as retail and hospitality, and this has grown over time. However, there has been little recent research. The usual assumption is that students compete successfully with the local labour force for low-skill, part-time jobs, but there is little evidence for this.…

When tested, 23 male postsecondary students displayed unsophisticated conceptions of learning and poor learning outcomes on a problem task. No differences were found between students with work experience and those coming from secondary education. Their limited knowledge base compared to experts suggests that training initiatives may not work. (SK)