To take DS on holiday during work experience week

Everything doesn't have to be a lesson, however this is work experience week so the idea that is that he'd be learning something about actual work, be that in a canteen, the voluntary sector or elsewhere.

Isn’t this an important lesson? You have to do things you don’t want to do sometimes.

Would the work experience in the charity shop be the same kind of volunteering he does for DofE, or quite different? He might actually learn something useful/enjoy it. I'm not saying taking him away = bad, but equally, working in the charity shop might actually be worthwhile, and look good on his CV.

Edit - ooops, you've just answered this question as I was writing this post, however I still think the charity shop work or the canteen wouldn't be a bad thing to have on his CV - what was he hoping to do? Part of this is showing willing surely?

I’m a senior developer in Technology. One of the people who works with us designed and implemented a low cost partially automated stock taking system during his 2 week work experience at a local Age Concern. How valuable the experience is depends on the student sometimes rather than the employer.

My DS did the voluntary week in the local hospice charity shop, I think it looked good on his uni application.

They have routine and hard graft every school day.

That their time is valuable, so if a relavent work experience cannot be obtained, he can enrich his life with something other than doling out chips to year sevens.

It doesn’t matter what job they do, it’s the routine and expectation of work and hard graft for 8 hours. Taking them on holiday is not letting them have the taste of that, but you are the parent and just do what you think is best .

There are learning opportunities through both these work experience options.

I find it really uncomfortable that he's only a teenager and you've already decided he's 'too good' for these jobs.

My only concern would be whether school requires any follow up work to the work experience e.g. reports about what he did. Is the work experience obligatory is the question. Will you be in the position of having to lie?

Have you asked your or oh work if they could take him on? That way he could travel with you. Or alternatively any work nearby either of your work places that he could go to, this would avoid travel issues. Do either of you contract or freelance and 'hire' him yourself?

I wasn't keen on my placement but it was a really good introduction to the real world that perhaps a lot of work is boring and not glamorous.

Holiday. Work experience is a complete waist of time in my experience. Some poor kid turns up and sits there, or gets sent for left handed screwdrivers....as a kid I did one day, I already knew what work was and had no interest in the work the company was doing. It was an office supply company and I was in the electronic equipment area....I can't even work out how a circuit works now.
As a manager we had a couple. They could only sit and watch people work.... what did they gain from that?

Doing a week in the summer would be a good solution, I’m sure it won’t make much difference exactly when he does the work experience.

So you're basically just swapping a week of the holidays with the work experience week? Sounds eminently sensible. Do it!

Go on holiday. Our school doesn’t even do work experience weeks. It hasn’t stopped my sons from getting work experience though, it just isn’t done in a block of a week.

What is he interested in? My teenagers are involved in significant volunteer commitments which get them plenty of opportunity to develop work related skills.

It actually makes me quite angry how you've dismissed those two options and decided a holiday is more important. Do you never eat out? Do you never use shops?

I agree - or he might find he has a passion for it and makes a career out of them.

Retail and catering are really good go-tos if he's ever struggling to find a job in future, so I'm not sure why you're dismissing them out of hand?

Depends what sort of holiday it is, I suppose.

The DC could learn about travel, language(s), culture, and another country's approach to heritage management or water conservation or architecture or transport or parks & recreation.

Or not.

Has your son done retail work before? Or food service? Why are you being so dismissive of the two options available. I don't think you should take him out for a holiday if you can take annual leave for a holiday you can take annual leave to take him to work experience if those two options aren't good enough for you. You'll be sending your son a strong message that you think he's "better than that" if you let him opt out. Really poor life lesson.

Have you asked friends / neighbours if any of them can help? One of my friends asked all her neighbours and got into a great company that way. Colleagues at my work have often had friends children come to us. If you go on holiday you are demonstrating to your son that he can opt out of required school activities when he chooses which isn’t the right attitude approaching GCSE time.

Any relatives he could stay with and could support his placement?