How are your student DC doing finding summer work this year - mine are struggling

[54321nought]

A few days in care homes where they have been bank workers for a while, that is about it. There seems to be nothing else. There is the possibility of a bit of bar work, but I am not keen on them applying for that, as once they have paid the taxi home at 3 am they make nothing, or less!

once they have paid the taxi home at 3 am they make nothing, or less!

How far is the taxi journey ? Surely they will be making £60 odd pound for a single shift ?
Are there not any pubs or hospitality venues nearer ?

My dd has two jobs - she returns to the lifeguarding she started at 16 each holiday, and then has been asked to do some shifts as a Receptionist too, but there are constant adverts on local social media looking for bar staff, same for waitressing, same for care work.

Do you live particularly rurally ?

Well, this is a turn around! The situation has completely changed since I wrote that post less than 3 hours ago, in that a totally unexpected letter has arrived, with a big cheque for each of them, an unexpected inheritance from a relative they helped care for before she died during lockdown....

so financial problems over for this university year any road!

of course, neither of them have ever paid a cheque in through a bank branch before, and its too big to pay in through an app, so that has been entertaining....

Eh? How on earth can that be a surprise - beneficiaries are usually notified by the executor long before they get to the point of being able to send a cheque. And now you/they think they don't need to earn money or get work experience? You want them to spend the money this year rather than save it for the future?

That's a very bizarre attitude to take. Work experience will be valuable when they apply for entry level positions, even if they don't strictly need the money.

And unless you live very rurally, a taxi ride wouldn't wipe out a shift's earnings.

well, we had no idea it was coming. The cheques have been signed by the deceased relative's daughter, so I am not sure if it came through an official will, or was a verbal request the lady made to her daughter before she died. I think the latter.

Its enough for them to not have to worry about finding work this summer, yes

And yes, a taxi home past midnight can wipe out most of your earnings if you are on £6.56 an hour

And no, I am not worried about them missing out on work experience, they have years of work experience under their belts already, paid and voluntary

So how rurally do you live, OP ?

I agree with BeenasFar . If that were my dc, I would be 100% encouraging them to save that for something specific later, and to continue to seek work.

I’d be encouraging them to
Continue working throughout the summer. Can never have too much money and will make the rest of their uni years easier to have a small nest egg

We are not rural at all. They have been seeking work for weeks, and not getting any , or hardly any, so I'm fine with them taking the rest of the summer off now. Both have term time jobs in their uni towns.

Agree with other posters, I would really encourage my Uni student DS to save any inheritance cheque rather than just use it for 'subsidising the summer vacation'. My DS has inherited a little over the years and it is all saved for him .. he did use some to buy his first car this year (he is 20).

I guess it depends where you live as to how easy it is to find jobs , my DS has always found something- usually in hospitality- we live in a fairly touristy location but this year he is working on a building site (having to be at work for 8am is a good discipline !

My niece returned home, my sister lives in a seaside town and business is booming. She is working 50 hours a week.

Dd applied for hospitality jobs early, just as things were opening up again. Either declined as had others apply with experience, longer term or had no response at all. I don't think the sector has really fully reopened and has proved too uncertain so not the usual seasonal demand for work. She currently has a once a week volunteer role and a few shifts at an indoor play centre.

just called the daughter of my deceased relative, she confirmed it was a verbal request from her Mum before she died. My two did spend much of lock down living in, caring for her, as carers became sporadic.

DC has done quite a bit of unpaid voluntary work but lacks real paid experience so its been particularly hard. He came home late too so some of the local cafe and bar jobs were already full. I've been quite worried about it actually because when he planned to go to uni summer jobs were part of the financial plan and usually you can return to them in the Christmas and Easter holidays because they already know you. Lots of retail jobs have gone from our area too. Most of his friends who managed to get summer jobs this year got them via family connections - ie filing documents, and bar work.

DS working nightshifts in Tesco.

Work has never been easier to find around here (East London/Essex).

The leisure industry is screaming out for coffee shop staff/bar staff/kitchen staff/cinema staff/restaurant staff etc.

The list is endless and employers are actually offering more money in order to fill the jobs that a lot of foreign staff used to do, before the pandemic hit.

@DuckbilledSplatterPuff

DC has done quite a bit of unpaid voluntary work but lacks real paid experience so its been particularly hard. He came home late too so some of the local cafe and bar jobs were already full. I've been quite worried about it actually because when he planned to go to uni summer jobs were part of the financial plan and usually you can return to them in the Christmas and Easter holidays because they already know you. Lots of retail jobs have gone from our area too. Most of his friends who managed to get summer jobs this year got them via family connections - ie filing documents, and bar work.

Much sympathy

@WorraLiberty

Work has never been easier to find around here (East London/Essex).

The leisure industry is screaming out for coffee shop staff/bar staff/kitchen staff/cinema staff/restaurant staff etc.

The list is endless and employers are actually offering more money in order to fill the jobs that a lot of foreign staff used to do, before the pandemic hit.

This is what I keep hearing, but it must be really patchy, because mine have found absolutely nothing, in spite of looking hard. They have spent hours distributing CVs, and filling in online applications- which I suspect are never even looked at, having spoken to the managers of several local super markets.....

They are both on the list of bank workers for several care homes, and normally get plenty of work there during the holidays, but not this time

anyway, they don't need to worry about it now, they are all set up for next year at uni, thanks to unexpected bequest.

I live in a massive tourist town- there are no jobs here despite the press hype

There are NO full-time hospitality jobs advertised
The only ones are apprenticeships at 40 hours a week for £136 or chefs at 50 hours a week for £30k.

its strange there is so little about, far less than normal, in spite of the press reporting that there are far more vacancies than normal

The lesson he's learned is that next year apply really early for summer jobs as there's now only just over a month left before they start going back again. If he can't get paid work this month, I'm encouraging him to do some voluntary work, because at least he'd get a formal reference for the next paid application.

It must be different in different areas then, as where I am (big City, non-touristy) it is like Worra said - lots of cafes / restaurants / pubs / bars all looking for staff.
dd said the same where she is at University. She walked into a job straight away when things opened up (never done bar work before) and they are always asking her to do extra shifts as they are short staffed.

Loads of jobs going near us.
Dd applied for lots a couple of months ago when uni finished for the summer and despite having no customer service experience was inundated with interviews.
She's worked nearly 40 hours a week since.

@Kite22

It must be different in different areas then, as where I am (big City, non-touristy) it is like Worra said - lots of cafes / restaurants / pubs / bars all looking for staff. dd said the same where she is at University. She walked into a job straight away when things opened up (never done bar work before) and they are always asking her to do extra shifts as they are short staffed.

Are they or is it zero hours contracts?

I spent some time looking online and they were all 10 hours a week or apprenticeships or chefs

Mine has two jobs. Have you heard of indeed flex? They have an app and supermarket shifts get offered on it, you just click on it to accept the shift. (I think lots of supermarkets have staff off isolating so he's been pretty busy)

Dd working for the NHS in an admin role. They specifically wanted students, zero hours contract. Above minimum wage, which she's obviously very pleased about. We're in London.