to think that DS (16) can still get a part time job

Is there a football or rugby stadium near you? Loads of DD's friends work at those places on match days. Zero hours obviously but still work.
DD herself managed to keep her hours at her supermarket job, probably because someone retired, but obviously she did more work over Christmas and also some people haven't been kept on.
She also has a zero hours contract job at a soft play, may be worth applying to those places on spec?
And I think someone already mentioned about lifeguard training?

If he’s confident to tutor he could do English conversation online

Any local trampoline parks, soft play or leisure centres that are very popular for children’s birthdays parties? These often hire teenagers.

How many jobs is he applying for each week? He just has to keep on at it. No use saying 'all the jobs have gone' and sulking.

If he can't get paid work even volunteering is good for CV and work experience. I know money is great but it's also about him learning responsibility, punctuality, how to interact with colleagues and clients.

How does he think people who actually need a job to feed themselves and put a roof over the children's heads feels? It's not that easy but he just has to keep on at it.

If his friends have jobs then hopefully they can let him know as soon as there's a vacancy which could give him an advantage.

If he's got a bike he could be a food courier? Just as a stop gap. Actually maybe you need to be 18 for that.

At 16, two of mine did their lifeguard qualification and got jobs at the local leisure centre. One of them got it funded by the centre but I paid for the other (about £250-300). They each did one evening shift a week, plus at least one other - sometimes an evening, sometimes a long weekend shift. But it was very flexible. And they both now have some first aid skills including defib training. It was still minimum wage though and didn't pay as well as the supermarkets.

There really aren't a lot of jobs for that age group. My youngest has been applying for every job within a reasonable distance for the last 8 months and hasn't even got an interview.
My eldest interviewed, and got offered a job, but after 6 weeks of them messing her around and not even giving a start date she told them to stick it.
It is very very different for teenagers nowadays.

It's actually very hard to get employment at 16. My ds tried for the summer with no luck. He got a Christmas job once he turned 17. Some of his friends had applied for 30+ jobs. He was lucky to get the first one he applied for! Much easier at 17.

Everyone says oh it’s really tough but my nephew easily got a job at McDonalds. My friends 2 sons the same. Nephew got sick of maccies because he got given the crap shifts at Xmas so quit and within days had got another job in a pub.
We live in a small town in the north. It doesn’t seem to be that hard here

I think it’s really hard for them to get a job now. DD (17) has been applying for jobs for months and not got anywhere and she’s a bright girl with lots of volunteering experience.

She had an interview for one job that specified 16/17 year olds and they had had 80 applicants! They interviewed 8 and were offering a trial shift to 3. She got offered a trial shift, but couldn’t do that date so she offered several other dates that she could do and they never replied even though she politely chased them!

She’s going to go around with her cv to the independent businesses in our local town and is nearly ready to take her driving test, so that will open up more opportunities for her hopefully. Hardly any of her friends have managed to get jobs either.

DS worked for McDonalds from 17 and they’re great. A lot to be said for zero hours contracts at that age. He works there in uni holidays now when he’s home and just says he’s unavailable when he goes back to uni. He’s not keen on DD working there too, but she might have to apply if nothing else comes up!

Has he tried tutoring at a 11plus category tutoring company- the ones that are on the high street? My Niece got a job working at one and she must have been 16 17 as she wasn’t at uni then.
eleven plus exams are in September so if parents are going down that route they will be ramping that up. Worth a try if he is solid in English comprehension/ story writing and maths.

I was going to say, try local places eg cafe, Subway, Domino’s type places etc. My eldest son had his first job in a Subway, it was shit but it was good experience and he got much better jobs since. My youngest applied for loads once he turned 16 and never got any, but he got a Christmas temp job in John Lewis which was great and he has been kept on for a while. From what I can gather from young people is hospitality jobs are easy to get but there’s less they can do at 16 than 18.

Yes you probably should have reminded him, but it’s done now. He didn’t remember either so he needs to take responsibility for that.
Unfortunately the market for part time jobs for teens is difficult and realistically he might be looking at getting a summer job now - he should learn from this experience and start looking in June if he hasn’t got anything before then.

Does.he do any additional voluntary roles through school or a club? I volunteered in the school library & was a St John Ambulance cadet, including providing first aid at public events; both were valuable work experience to draw on for future applications and interviews.

At 16 i just went around locally with my CV for a saturday job.

Small local businesses are a lot more helpful and flexible for first saturday job. Like a local nurseries to assist with planting, paper filing, independent stores, small coffee shops etc. Or local gardeners, tradesmen will give little assisting jobs on a saturday, even if its cleaning tools. Its all experience.

Big chains or indeed jobs generally filter out under 16s.

I agree with this, McDonalds. Two of my teenagers worked/work there. It’s great for flexible hours, a
can pick up more in school hols etc.

Yes, nobody is going to pay a Y12 to "help with homework", I'm afraid.

Don’t feel bad it’s on him to apply. McDonald’s is a good bet they recruit from 16. Suggest he gives it another try in January.

He might not have 'work' experience but he will have experience. eg Does he do the washing up? Lots of pubs employ a teenager to wash up on a weekend because it is quicker than the dishwasher.

Can he cook?

Can he garden?

Cleaning. Lots of businesses have cleaners who come in early morning to, well clean. If he doesn't mind starting work at 3.00 am.

Dog walking?

Taking Xmas trees out to collection points / chopping them up for disposal.

My daughter has applied for about 50/60 part time jobs with no experience and has got nowhere.

She is now volunteering at Barnardo's for some experience and something to put on her CV.

It's one shift a week and she is treated really well by the manager. Costa's, sweets Xmas presents even!

How about signing up with an agency?
I did a couple of weeks of events. Handing out canapés and drinks etc

January is not a good time of year for seasonal part-time work. Pubs and restaurants are dead quiet, supermarkets and other shops have a bit of a January sales bump sometimes but have plenty of staff from Christmas temps, then they're also very quiet. People aren't going on holiday, there aren't festivals or gigs. Do you live in a city, a town, or a rural area? As a student in Cardiff I used to do ad-hoc work at sporting events, but I was over 18 and we had an international stadium in the city centre.

It might be worth him looking at more informal friend-of-a-friend kinds of casual work, things like offering to walk dogs (not everyone wants to trudge out in the dark and cold), wash filthy cars, tidy up gardens. How is he with younger kids - again parents don't want to trudge off to the park and stand around in the cold. They may be happy to pay £20 for a responsible teenage son of a friend to take their kids out for a kick around and fun in the park for a couple of hours.

We're in a northern town with not much available. Dc is 16 got a Christmas temp job (after trying for 6 months) and most of the others were a lot older (25-30). The shop said they usually keep most on but this year were told they could keep 3 on temporary till end of January. Dc has been kept on for now but 8 let go. Its a hard time to get a job, even harder with no experience.
Has dc thought about volunteering? All 3 of my dc did and has helped them get part time jobs after. Dc1 was actually given a paid job where they volunteered.