AIBU to ask how parents prepare older teens for work?

I always encouraged mine to look for work as soon as they were able to. They all did small cafe jobs from being 15 and then as soon as they turned 16 were able to apply for and get “better” jobs in larger companies.

Of course, the best way for any adult to help their DC is by sheer, unashamed nepotism, so jobs for the boys, having a word with a friend that kind of thing but in the absence of that kind of advantage, I’ve encouraged my DCs to work so they’ve got stuff to write about on their CVs.

Plus I stopped paying for things as soon as they turn 16.

Hrs had it checked over by both connexions ( with whom he had work ecperiene and his job coach at universal credit
His experience isnt unusual.

I encouraged mine to do voluntary work as much as possible. I believe this helped them in so many ways. They developed their confidence and skills. Employers saw they had a work ethic. It’s so easy to find volunteering opportunities.

Under 16s are only allowed to work limited hours legally. 2 hours only on weeknights and Sundays and 5 hours on Saturdays. Most jobs don’t offer 2 hour shift blocks… they also can’t work before 7am or after 7pm. Employers need a special permit, their colleagues would need full DBS checks and the insurance costs more.

Why would they bother when they can hire an 18year old and not have to do any of that.

How old is he that he’s a young adult and hasn’t worked before?

This exactly

I encouraged mine from 16/17 onwards to take part time jobs which they got in 6th form and most summer holidays from uni. It took a lot of applying and interviewing and crazy amounts of time filling out interview forms and questions for them, and on the odd occasion I gave advice on these. But the effort has come from them, I haven’t done much at all, apart from providing reassurance. It’s so tough out there. After an heroic number of applications, countless interviews and very little feedback (it was requested, just not provided), my 23 year old started his first graduate job this week, I am so relieved. And he’s still living at home, so I am providing accommodation and meals. I didn’t expect my DCs to still be living at home in their early 20s but we have delayed downsizing and are not retiring for a few more years, so in that respect we are doing a lot more than I expected to a decade ago. They are lovely young people, pleasant to live with and pull their weight around the house, it’s just not what DH and I planned when they were younger.

With my eldest I haven’t really needed to as she’s very motivated. Found herself a Saturday job volunteering in a local charity shop when she was 15 and it really helped her get paid jobs since although it’s much harder now than when I was her age (19). She’s consistently worked in paid jobs since she was 16/17 although they have all been temporary and/or zero hour contracts. My only role in all this is sending her links/screenshots of jobs I see that i think she could apply for.

I think general good parenting also has a lot to do with it; teaching them to be on time for things, seeing things through that they have committed to, being polite even if other people aren’t and that sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do and it’s not the end of the world. These are all things they should be learning anyway as they grow up.

If you read all the posts above you'll see that getting a part time job as a teen isn't easy nowadays

Retail and hospitality don't need so many part time/weekend employees as so many people are shopping online and not going out

Hes 19 and left college in june
You do realise youth unemployment is a massive issue right now?

There are also lots of people saying their 15/16/17year olds have been working. If you reach 18 without ever having worked you’re already behind imo because all those kids who did get work already beat you to the jobs that become available to you as a new adult. Even a paper round is a good start as it shows reliability.

And yet many places wont employ under 18s ...

The UK youth unemployment rate currently stands at 16.2% (representing 739,000 young people aged 16 to 24), which is significantly lower than the record-high peak of 22.5% in late 2011.

I was 16 in 2011, and had already had 3 jobs by that age. During peak youth unemployment I and my friends were never without work because we were willing to take anything, travel up to 90 minutes, interviewed well.

Of course it is somewhat area dependent. But youth unemployment is by no means the worst it’s ever been.

Can I ask which excel course your DC did please? There are lots around but would be great to get a recommendation!

Every single pub, shop and cafe near us employs teenagers.

I went out for lunch with a friend today and apart from the owner, every single member of staff was 16 or 17 years old.

Loads of places employ under 18's.

By helping them with PT job applications at 16 and driving lessons at 17.

Absolutely.

The shops, cafes and restaurants here are filled with working teens.

I work in a workplace that hires a lot of under 16s as well as older teens and the biggest thing I think is taking on responsibility (doesn’t even have to be a job, even the ones who help with the weekly food shop etc seem miles better than the ones whose first taste of responsibility is the job itself) and being able to ask sensible questions (and retain that information, that tends to be the divider for who gets hired (or retained in the job) at least in my workplace.
you can just see the difference in the ones who are used to talking to adults, asking questions and taking responsibility compared to those who don’t.

Also, to add, he’s struggling because he’s 19 and hasn’t ever worked. Why wasn’t he applying to work weekends when he was 16/17?

I helped with their first cv if they wanted. They all had paper rounds at 13, then weekend jobs from 15/16 so the move to work was quite easy really.

You start when they are young. They earn extra money for chores, do babysitting. When ours were early teens a relative asked them to go and work for them in the school holidays. Well, they asked me and I said yes. Make them realise they need to earn money. They have Saturday jobs, p-t jobs. You talk to them about your place of work and the expectations of staff. You go to work regularly and they see it is what you do.

It's a progression, and you need to be aware that in a competitive market you need to be at least the same stage as your peers.

So for my children it was volunteering pre 16, minimum wage fairly basic jobs at 16, leading to slightly less basic jobs at 18.

DD went to uni and found that there were more students than jobs so the hospitality and retail jobs went to those who had experience between 16-18. She had experience working with children so has got holiday jobs working on children's playschemes. All the young people working on the playschemes have similar - there is no one getting these jobs, applying at 18/19/20 with zero experience.

DS got an apprenticeship at 19 and they wanted him to demonstrate he had some work experience. So he was ahead of those that had none.

My niece has just finished a degree and has zero work experience because she lives rurally and her parents refused to give her lifts so she physically couldn't get to anything out of a her small village. That's definitely something you can support with as a parent.

I helped, but when mine were much younger. Particularly, helped them to think about the type of career they wanted, and then they started putting in the legwork at 15/16.

Eldest got a part time job at 15, youngest was 16. Then I helped them to think about careers. Eldest wanted to work in healthcare. So helped her to get experience at the hospital and then to volunteer. When she wanted to give up (when all her friends did), I encouraged her to keep going through uni. Whilst at uni, the hospital encouraged her to do one of her placements with them and that then led to her full time job. Throughout it all, she saved and lived frugally and now at the age of 23, she has a full time job, boyfriend and house that she’s just bought.

Youngest is still at uni. She wants to work in fashion type role. So I helped her to get a job in a designer clothes shop. Made her walk the shopping mall introducing herself to the managers of the stores she wanted to work in. It worked, got her a part time job, which she still has at uni, and am encouraging her to look at different options, to get volunteer / different work experience for when she leaves uni.

But once they’re at that age, I leave them to it. I’m around if they need help, but it’s down to them by then.

I don't disagree with you but that doesn't make it easy to find jobs that are in short supply. In what sector are employers struggling to fill the jobs an under 18 can do?