[coldtea]

>The most effective way I've seen work ethic develop in a young person is by real world trial and error. You work hard in an entry level unskilled job, you are rewarded for that work, you develop something akin to self respect, pride, or whatever you want to call it, and that becomes the foundation for the rest of your professional life.

Unskilled jobs and below minimum wage jobs have little to do with either young persons or "work ethic development".

There are tons of 30 and 40 and 50 and even 70 year olds working in such jobs. And lots of young people with excellent work ethic to begin with, often juggling 2 of those to make ends meet.

This is far closer to what's going on out there that Horatio Alger:

http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/03...