Work experience 15 DS

[Daddylonglegs1965]

DS 15 is required to do a work experience for a week and needs to organise something ASAP. I have encouraged and bagged him about this to no avail. He has had since the summer to do this but has put off and stalled for various reasons. He doesn’t know what he would like to do when he leaves school but he is very academic and seems to be doing well across the board but particularly in all sciences particularly physics and chemistry, also maths and DT. When he is not on his phone iPad or Xbox he is also fairly sociable and personable. Any suggestions of the types of firms/companies he could approach that would take a 15 year old on as he now only has days or a couple of weeks to sort this out rather than months. I will let him know your suggestions and I have a couple of friends who have businesses but he needs to get off his bum and make phone calls/write letters.

[MedSchoolRat]

DS got a place in garden centre very pleased with himself. Colleague said he did landscaping & gardening as summer job all thru Uni.

Charity shops or old primary school was a backup plan. I know someone's DD got a space at council legal dept, did a lot of interesting things, too.

[Stereomum]

My Ds got a place at the local council offices in the electoral department. A quick phone call and that was it. He does his in July.

[Daddylonglegs1965]

Thanks I think DS needs to get off his bum and be actively involved as I have been nagging him since July. He prefers burying his head in the sand attitude to life.
His fall back plan is his old primary school (which he hated and has no desires to go into teaching) but he hasn’t contacted them yet or a local restaurant (he loves the food there but hasn’t taken cookery in his options and shows no interest in this laying/clearing the table at home etc etc) I think he envisages himself playing on his phone sat at a quiet table sampling lots of free food until home time. At this rate we will be completing his UCAS application and applying for jobs for him. He needs a rocket up his bum.

[Genthehen78]

Obviously I do not know where you are but how about an airport or something like that? My friend works for a very large UK airport and often has local school children on work experience.
A smaller airfield may let him work in operations.
If he does something completely different it may get him interested in something he never thought of.
There is some good info on this site to help him choose.
www.groundwork.org.uk/Sites/youthhub/pages/own-work-experience-placement-xmarks

[BarbarianMum]

Its really late to sort this out, so unless you have personal contacts anywhere he may have to take what he can get.

I work for an environmental charity and we are currently booking WE placements for June and July and next Sept.

[Daddylonglegs1965]

Thanks I know I/we do have contacts but the last thing I want is DS going somewhere and embarrasing himself and us by going along with something we have pushed him into out of frustration and lack of but in and discussion on his part and him standing there looking bored disinterested hating it and looking like a lemon.

[BarbarianMum]

Well, have you considered just taking a step back and letting him deal with it?
It is his mess. Sometimes we need to learn through failure and, if he does, better now than later.

[Daddylonglegs1965]

Well yes I have stepped back and said him and DH had to sort it together. DH wants him to do that but them to have got nowhere since I washed my hands of it in September. Now is the last chance saloon but I also feel like we are letting him down especially as all his friends are sorted (mainly through the help of their parents) but I suppose you are right.

[BarbarianMum]

Honestly the worst thing you can do here is to run in and rescue him. When he's ready and proactively comes to you for help, then support him but let him do the legwork. His life will not be perminently damaged by not sorting out a WE placement age 15 but 15 is a good age to realise that you need to be the protagonist in your own life.

[lljkk]

I do believe there will be lots in his position. Maybe lots = only one dozen in a year group of 200, but that's plenty. He won't be only one.

[Daddylonglegs1965]

Thanks all