1.2 million 16-24 year olds currently out of work?

yes because they're competing with grown adults for lots of small and zero hours jobs.

the delivery, retail type jobs that they could previously do are now taken over either by low wage workers or a machine.

Your council issued the relevant paperwork to work under 14 then?

She was lucky though. Places just won't hire under 18 because of insurance etc. I've been in places where I've seen them turn 16 year olds away because of that. Places where once upon a time they would have had lots of 16 year old staff

Mine are 21 and 18, both in full time education.

I got DD a summer job at the end of her GCSE’s at my workplace. No availability over Christmas as the holiday period was too short. She applied for about 10 Christmas positions, shortlisted for a couple but then never heard back.

A lot of agencies don’t take on any one under 18 (have tried). Now concentrating on A-levels/Uni there’s no pressure to work.

when I was at school there were a lot of after school jobs, I worked in a greengrocer’s Monday-Friday. Also worked at the local market on weekends. Just don’t see them advertised anymore.

I’m a Coach for a swim club.
I suggest to all my teens when they get to 16 they take their Level 1 swim teaching certification. There are pools locally that will pay them £8-10 an hour for this even at 16.
When they are 17, they can take their Level 2 certificate so can teach lessons alone. This puts them on £16-20 an hour here (I see work up to £40 an hour in some areas).
Most of them also have to do their lifeguarding qualification too which is paid more around the min wage but gives them more hours of work.

It’s a great way to get them earning a decent amount of money at a young age so they feel like it’s worth it. There is a National shortage, they will never be out of work and can transfer to other pools if they go off to uni.

Like with all work, train to do something that is an ‘in demand’ skill and you will never struggle to find work.

Edited to add: I get them helping with sessions with younger kids from the age of 14 ish so by the time they are 16 they have the confidence and knowledge to use their skills.

@MartinCrieffsLemon the b and b was my friends, and it's perfectly legal. A couple of hours in the morning during the holidays is a great way to introduce work to teens.

And I wouldn't have said it was luck she got the other jobs... the work is there for those willing to put in the leg work.

Going against the grain, I teach university students, and on their UCAS forms since COVID almost all of them have had one or more part time jobs - whereas that used to be pretty rare. About 10-15 years ago almost none of our applicants had any paid work experience at all. Now pretty much almost all of them do, even the higher family income ones — just the usual part time jobs like waiting tables, supermarket or retail work, but it’s a noticeable shift - and they do more holiday jobs while at university, too.

Absolutely. It is sad and actually dreadful. For the young people themselves and our society and country. So many factors involved. But there needs to be an absolute change and financial reduction as to who is supported by the state not to work.

I was interested to read the various discussions regarding the idea of national inquiries or local inquiries into historic sexual abuse cases. I think possibly that criteria might also apply to support for genuine job seekers. And those who are shy about job seeking. Some areas will have a much greater need for targeted support for job seeking. Whereas other areas will have much better transport, many more employers so far greater opportunities, so perhaps the targeted support will change.

I wonder what percentage are suffering MH issues and not receiving help. MH services are shocking and children are leaving school with them not having been able to have the support they needed. CAMHS are shocking.

Murdoch then.

I have to to say, my niece makes over 2k a month on tiktok...she also has a full time job that she is keeping so she's sensible luckily!

That would actually be a good starter job for someone anxious, maybe autistic. Those sorts of jobs don't really exist any more though.

She was exceptionally lucky to get that work. Especially cleaning at 13. That doesn't actually sound legal tbh

Based on the teenagers we've had over the last 4 years compared the ones we had over the last 20 years, I completely agree.

I used to work at McDonalds as a teen in the early 2000s. After school and on weekends. I was on the front counter taking orders along with 5 or 6 others my age. It was great fun.

I went into a McDonalds last week and there was NO ONE taking customer orders. I had to use a touch screen to place my own order.

Then after waiting 5 minutes, 1 lone, solitary worker handed my food to me.

There aren’t as many service jobs for young people anymore. All the supermarkets have gone the same way. Everything is self-checkouts.

It’s only going to get worse with the dawn of AI.

Oh and she was diagnosed with autism aged 11. (Aspergers)

X post with @echt Great minds and all that….😀

My 19 year old is in the RAF joined at 17.
At 13 she cleaned in a b and b. 14 -15 was Covid.
Age she 16 waitressed in 'Spoons and lifeguarding at Haven (and got 9 grade 9s and two 8s at GCSE).

So it IS doable if they have a good work ethic and supportive family

Sitting at home trying to make it on TikTok. We can all have a good laugh about it but sadly it’s not far from the reality.