Should parents urge teenage children to get a job?

We've been discussing ways that parents can help prepare their teenage children for adulthood. One line of thinking is that parents should encourage their teenagers to take part-time jobs to help them learn to be responsible, even if it is not an economic necessity for the teenagers to work. What are your thoughts on the issue? Should parents urge teenage children to get a job? Why or why not?

Teenagers should work part-time. When I was 16, I washed dishes at a restaurant, and I'm glad I did. I learned a lot about time management. I had to use my free time wisely to make sure I could complete homework despite spending time working at a job. This is a valuable life skill.

I would have to disagree. A teenager is still just a kid, and in my opinion, a kid needs to focus on going to school and learning. A job would be an unnecessary distraction. If it's all about learning responsibility, I think there are a lot of other ways to do that without the commitment required by a job.