Evening MN
Have any of you got children doing a gap year? If so, what are they doing?
I have a 19 year old (not in this country, resat a year) who has just called me for ideas.
They passed their A-level equivalent with B grades but did not want to go to university this year as much of it is still virtual and they do not cope well with online learning.
I have no idea whether a September 2022 start will be vastly different and whether uni online learning is here to stay, but I can totally understand why they might want to defer.
They currently have a part-time bar job, just a few hours a week, which would fit alongside any other type of study or voluntary work.
Work experience apprenticeships/internships in an area they might be interested in (arts and museums) are not taking people because of Covid.
Taking more hours or doing another job alongside the bar job means having to pay their own health insurance rather than being on a family plan.
The adult ed courses are also virtual/online/Zoom.
Volunteering in the first aid sector = more Covid risk and they already have a certain amount of that working as bar staff.
They can do their driving lessons but that and barmaid, do not look great for 14 months.
I had found a business apprentice role here but the 18 month commitment was too long for them.
They asked me about the aupair world site but I have done aupairing myself twice back in the day and it isn't something I can fully get behind tbh (risk of exploitation, pay, lack of opportunity at the current time wrt socialising/travel, vetting). They do have an Irish passport.
They could volunteer in an Oxfam shop for a year but not sure how much it would bring.
I assume places like Eurocamp, Camp America and VSO are not hiring long-term.
What are your children doing and what careers advice have they had/have you given?
On top of all that, mine has no idea what course she actually wants to do so trying to get experience in a related field is impossible at the moment - myers-briggs tests and careers quizzes have not proven fruitful. I have suggested they go to the Unemployment Office and ask for help there. I believe after two years hard slog and exams in stressful circumstances (5 hour exams in a mask ffs), their get up and go has got up and gone.
Any advice would be appreciated, particularly from employers what you would expect to see on a CV in these unprecedented times. Is working in hospitality (i.e barmaiding at weekends) ever going to cut it?