DS can't find a job. What about the gap now?

[Candleab]

DS is 19. Had a very bad time mental health wise, all managed at home as GP was useless and he's a bloke so wouldn't engage (private therapy)
Our family suffered a very stressful time whilst he was at college, a really bad event.

He left college at the end of his first year with no As levels.

He got a job which he enjoyed for a while but the environment wasn't great and so he lined up another job through a friend and handed his notice in.

The job fell through.

This was in November of last year.

He's been applying but just got nowhere.

Just retail jobs, customer service etc... But the previous job wa sin a completely different field so he has no retail experience.

It's been months now and I'm on disability benefits and I didn't want him to be in benefits so I've just been funding him out of my money but turns out I've been paying extra rent every month because he's a non dependant and was still down as working. My rents gone up.

I don't know what to do, he has been applying. I've sat with him many times whilst he sends off applications but nothing. Not even an interview.

He has no friends. He doesn't leave the house.

I'm just so worried and now there's a big gap in his employment too on his limited CV.

I'm scared his mental health is going down hill again.

He needs to apply today
How is he affording food, bills with zero income ?
This will also pay his National Insurance "stamps" towards his state pension, unemployment & other benefits

Apply here

https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

The Richmond Fellowship is a charity supporting people with mental health problems and part of their services can be employment support. Might be worth a Google.

Sorry. Retail jobs require a set of skills it doesn't sound like your son has. Confidence, EQ, energy, consideration for others, friendliness. If he's a shy homebody with no friends and MH issues he's unlikely to be hired in customer facing roles.
Retail isn't easy at all and it's actually quite hard to get hired for a retail role. You just have to took at MSE forums for people with many years of customer facing experience struggling to get customer service roles in supermarkets.
As PP have said try industrial type roles. Stop making excuses for him re not driving or no transport. Taxis for the first few weeks even if it means he barely breaks even. A bicycle. Part bus part bike or walk? He might find someone who will give him a lift until he can get a car.
Warehousing. Building labourer.
Restaurant pot wash? Care work. Cleaning?

In the past I signed up to do some temporary work, which included being sent to do work in
Factories
Cleaning
Catering
Festivals
Hospitals
Depending on the location, sometimes free transport was included
I also went to some on my bicycle
I didn't get a choice when or where I went

It will be summer holidays soon, what will his excuse be for not getting a job before then ?

CV
No more than 2 pages long
Name, address, phone & email address
Work experience
Qualifications
Interests
No need for date of birth

You need to tell him that you cannot afford to support him
He needs to apply for UC
He needs a job

Is there anywhere he could volunteer? It would get him some experience and help build his confidence. And help cover the dreaded gap. Because I know the gap can grow so much and make it harder to get a job when you're young. And as others have said, an Apprenticeship would be a brilliant option

Taxis? You do realise people don't get paid for weeks after they start working. Where's he getting this money from for all this?

He doesn't want to work with kids again.

Thanks for alll the ideas. Stepping back from the thread now but have some excellent information.

Appreciated

I just wanted to help by asking what benefits are you on as I've personal experience of this area and this situation.

When I did temporary work

For some of the work
Got to the temp agency office which was the starting point
Transport was via a free minibus, drop off & pick up. I was not paid for the time spent on the bus.

Big festival events, transport was via free coach & a free box of food

Another example
I worked in a hospital laundry during the day
Then walked a couple of miles to do a job delivering takeaway food in the evening

Other examples
Factories, I walked or cycled

I did not live at home with my parents, so I took whatever work that I could get at the time

Really sorry op but the harsh reality is that many people don’t want to do the job they are doing but they need to work. It depends how much you both want him to get a job.

Get him in UC. It's not about the money. They'll help him find a job and he'll qualify for free courses.

He doesn't want to work with kids again.

OP- I've re-read all your posts again, and it's only in your latest one that you now say he doesn't want to work with kids again!!! People have made very good suggestions and provided multiple links. It feels like you are making excuses! Some industrial estates provide a free bus from the town centre. Does he have a bicycle?
Even walking the high street with his CV and handing it into every shop might lead somewhere.

Sign up for UC but also get him linked in to youth organisations such as catch 22 or the princes trust. They are very good at working with young people, especially those who have fallen through the gaps a bit.

Don't try and deal with this alone - you absolutely don't have to and he needs outside influence and help.

I have worked with young people and employability for years. 19 is not old at all, apprenticeship route is absolutely open to him but I would engage with youth employment orgs like princes trust first. They will build confidence, do CV writing and interview skills and take the burden/fear from you and your son. They are also very good with mental health and have specific programmes to slow build confidence and soft skills for young people affected by this.

The good thing about temporary work is that you get to try different things
Sometimes temporary positions, turn into full time jobs with better employee benefits.

The bad thing is that sometimes there is no work, due to zero hours contract.
That is why, I sometimes worked 2 different types of jobs at the same time.

You currently need minimum of years of National Insurance contributions to receive a full state pension

He needs to get these via employment, study or benefits or a mixture of these

My National Insurance started at 16 with my first part time job

He needs to be made aware of the facts

If he’s managing without the uc money then he could use it for driving lessons if that’s a barrier for him. Plus he will get support , access to job fairs, help with cv and NI credits built up.

Yes that's a valid point. He's going to apply today.

Funny thing is, I posted when he first left his job in Nov about UC helping him find work and everyone was saying don't let him go on it and they'd be ashamed if their kid went on UC.

Ignore those. Dd went on uc after graduating. It helped her. Sometimes things aren’t seamless and support is needed. UC will give that.
Make sure he mentions any heath issues incl mental health if any so he gets the right support.

He needs to claim UC. They may be able to put him on courses to help him secure work. It won't be much that he gets ( maybe around £265 a month) but at least he can help towards the rent.