DS 16 yrs abroad with College, being used as free labour

[incywince]

DS is doing his A levels, they had an opportunity to go abroad for three weeks to do work experience related to their studies. It’s a fully funded Government scheme and is supposed to give them opportunities to experience working in their future careers. His college is a STEM college (Science Technology Engineering Maths) and DS is very engineering focused and will almost certainly end up working in engineering in some capacity. I
was surprised but pleased that he wanted to go, he’s very much a home boy and I thought this would be a great experience for him, both to live away from home and develop some independence, and to get some decent work experience too.
We have had messages from him saying he’s been painting tables all week! Apparently the owners of the hotel they are staying in are renovating another hotel and they are basically using the students as free labour. According DS they are bodging it up for the summer season and then going to do it all properly over the winter. And DS and one of his college mates are doing some of the bodging! We were told in the paperwork that he would be learning about electric maintenance and other technical aspects of keeping a hotel running. Other students have gone off to various work places e.g. labs, DS and one other have got stuck with this hotel work.
He has spoken to his teacher who is out there with them, apparently he’s spoken to the hotel and they have said they’ll find other work for them, but today he’s messaged to say he’s painting tables again.
Now part of me thinks it won’t do him any harm, but another part of me thinks that’s not the purpose of the trip and he would be better off at College doing his actual A level studies. I have offered to email his teacher but he said he doesn’t want me to.
What would you do in this situation??

I’d leave it and then drop them an email to ask them to ensure there is worthwhile work for the students who go next year as you feel your son has been let down compared to others on the trip.

Then help your son write up the experience in a way that makes it sound more engineering focused than it was for future CVs. Or tell him to ask to swap with another student in a lab for a day so they get equal experience.

Agree with @LadyCrustybread I'd also want to intervene but he's asked you not to so you need to respect that. I'd encourage him to continue to speak up for himself. The teacher who is there really needs to step up.

But I would follow it up with the college once he's back. Next time they need to know in advance what kind of work the students will be given by the various employers. What a frustrating experience for your son.

That sounds very disappointing, but working in a hotel was never going to offer real engineering experience, was it? If he is serious about studying engineering at uni he needs to find some proper engineering experience in an area he is interested in.

Thanks @LadyCrustybread@frankethat’s kind of my thought process but I do tend to go into protective mum mode and am sitting on my hands to stop myself emailing the teacher!
@Newmeagainhe didn't find out it was work in a hotel until a few days before he went, they were told it would be STEM related work placements. The scheme is called the Turing Scheme, google it if you can be bothered, it’s very much not the aims of the scheme to have students painting tables. Please don’t question how serious he is about a career in STEM, you know nothing about him or his studies.

Heating, cooling, ventilation, air con, water pumps, electrical stuff (lights, appliances), structural work.
How is that not real engineering. Sounds ideal for a late teenager. This isn’t uni.

Thank you @BringBackCatsEyesthat’s more along the lines of what we had expected.

I have a son the same age and it’s hard to get the balance right between supporting them and when to intervene. I lean more towards leaving him to it (even if it’s killing me!) because it’s all part of becoming a functioning adult!

I think this is an issue about the funding - if it is a govt grant then these overseas "placements" are basically being funded by our govt and not giving the experiences that would be required for Uni or on the CV.

I’d say that now you know the work he’s doing, call it lucky they aren’t asking him to touch anything electrical given their attitude! My mum occasionally mentions the two weeks I was “used” making coffee in an advertising agency, my memory of it is completely different as I was thrown into the crazy pace of the industry.
It’s not right but it’s safer.

Thank you, exactly that! So hard to get the balance right, he’s not the most outgoing of chaps but as you say, it’s a good life lesson.

Yes I agree. The hotel are being paid to give these students STEM related work experience, I am tempted to email the scheme once he’s back.

True, I hadn’t thought of it like that! I don’t know if you are familiar with PLEBS, but I have jokingly said to him to go a bit Grumio, he’s the Roman slave who always does a really crap job so he doesn’t get asked to do anything 😂

I would look at the scheme and let them know, at the very least. If this is happening all over the country they need to be putting stricter requirements in place to ensure value for money.

Definitely go a bit Grumio 🤣🤣
So frustrating though.

I personally would email the college with a complaint. I’ve organised similar trips at the university level and yes, there is a degree of sometimes you just get on with the work assigned because it’s all a learning experience. But the on site programme organiser should be on top of this.

That said, no hotel is ever going to provide experience in electrical engineering. They will outsource that to a qualified electrician, not anyone they manage themselves, so surely there isn’t anyone on staff to oversee his learning. I would encourage him to see it as an opportunity to learn about business management and see what he can get from it from that perspective.

Thank you. I’m trying to tread the line of not interfering versus making sure the collection are aware. There’s definitely no one overseeing any learning because he’s not doing any! It’s more that it’s a waste of funds and a waste of his time. And most definitely not what the scheme is intended for.
DH and I have been chatting about it and have decided to let him have his weekend, see what happens next week and intervene if necessary. I appreciate your insight thank you.

Op that must be so frustrating for you. I would find it hard not to complain but you’re doing the right thing by respecting your son’s wishes.

I’m not sure if you’re aware of Springpod. It’s a free virtual work experience website where companies create a virtual work experience programme. Your son can probably do a couple over the summer for about 12 hours each if he wants to demonstrate an interest in engineering. Dd did one, but she was also lucky enough to get some real life work experience. Both went on her UCAS form.

Oh that’s really helpful, I hadn’t heard of this! I will definitely get DS to investigate, thank you

I’d also reframe it a bit in your mind - even if he gets no STEM related experience, he has got some work experience and your home boy has been able to spend time abroad without you which will help him develop a whole host of new skills with regards to independence etc.

I think any work experience / time away from home is good for teens. Granted, it could have been better but I bet he’ll get a lot out of it anyway.

I would email. He's not there to paint tables and if that's all they want him to do for three weeks I'd rather fly him home.

Leave him to it. Part of life's learning experience for him.

Also by saying/doing nothing you are allowing these people to continue to run what is basically a scam.

I would have to pipe up and insist he's returned home ASAP to allow him to continue studying if he's not being afforded the ability to actually learn anything.

The only way anything will change with this scam is if parents complain and they are inconvenienced enough to have to change things. Why should a government scheme pay for unskilled labour for a foreign hotel?

I understand PP's point about this being good practice for adulthood, but this is quite an unusual situation and I think parents supporting and modelling how to act is actually the right thing here.

Just come back to this thread to see a few more replies, thanks for all the comments. As stated above we are going to see what happens next week, we will definitely contact the teacher out there if he’s still painting tables next week. I agree with everyone saying it’s still a good experience to be away from home etc, however I am not happy about the use of the funding and the missed opportunity for DS. He has said he doesn’t want to come home, I guess there’s a bit of embarrassment that would go with that if he was the only one, but he doesn’t seem overly upset, just a bit fed up.