The objective of this research was to recognize the strengthening and weakening potentials of young workers who study in a public school. It is a qualitative study that interviewed 19 students 16 to 20 years old of the nocturnal period. The main weakening potentials were: long hours of working, excess of responsibility, lack of stability and essentially manual, broken up and repetitive work. The few strengthening potentials were: socialization and satisfaction of social reproduction needs. The phenomenon of intergenerational regression was verified. The study of the binomial strengthening-weakening of the young denounces more negative than positive meaning of the concurrence work-study, that is closely related to the survival needs of the families. This process is potentially weakening, being able to cause health problems to the young.
Work; Adolescent; Adolescent health
