To expect my 16 yr old to get full time work for the summer?

[whatthewhatthewhat]

At least 8 weeks until they go back to school for A-Levels. I worked full time at that age. AIBU to think they should get a job for the summer?

I always expected mine to be gainfully employed but not necessarily in a job. I think if you want longer term advantage then building a cv through things that demonstrate vocational intent (work experience), a love of learning (extracurricular achievement) or leadership potential (something like watersports instructor or working at a summer camp) are more useful.

Travelling is good for building confidence too.

any teenager of average intelligence should be able to take GCSEs in their stride without requiring a summer to recover

This is the kind of obviously facile, passive aggressive comment people make on MN when they don't have a rational argument. I am very academic, I have a 1st class (top 5 in my year) and a PhD from Oxford but found GCSEs stressful (and they're more stressful now by all accounts).

Most students find GCSEs stressful and it's nice to have a break after them. There aren't many periods of time in your life when you're free to relax with your friends and just enjoy life. I wouldn't waste it working some mindless job unless you really have to. I would expect the teenager to still help out at home though.

I am astounded by the number of posters on here with such negative and defeatist attitudes towards finding work for teens.

Nobody is saying that finding a bit of part time work is impossible (though it's not as easy as in the past). I think people are just reacting to OP's unreasonable expectations and pointing out the difficulties they/their DC have had.

My son has just started his first day labouring today.

He finished GCSEs last Friday and has his prom this weekend.

It's adhoc work and he will work as and when he's needed before going on a month long school trip at the beginning of July.

He's doing it for spending money though, not because I've made him.

First I would say that they are up against uni and a level students who
1 finished exams earlier (esp uni students) and have had the pick of the jobs
2 are probably driving so can be more flexible /not reliant on lifts or you to ferry round
However saying that my dc have picked up jobs during school holidays but
Dc did a level 1 coaching qualification and refereeing course during gcse and the volunteered as a coach at local sports holiday camp for a few weeks before getting a job. They also did the pool lifeguard course as soon as they were 16 so also secured part time hours in the leisure centre. He was reliant on me for lifts training before he could drive so this did impact round my job or weekend evenings but both these were sporadic and hours weren’t guaranteed.
Other child also volunteered in athletics club, applied to local council and did school cleaning shifts again this relied on me transporting them so impacted on my work as it wasn’t always convenient, they also did glasses collection and cleaning in a local bar but it wasn’t easy and hours were late on weekends and again transport was an issue until they could drive.
So I would say it is possible they might find some work but it’s quite likely they have missed the boat unless they have experience, related qualifications or skills to offer.
They might be able to do some volunteering or unpaid work experience or other qualifications they could do over the break - like coaching pool lifeguard or swimming teaching (these May cost through) if your/their aim is just to get them out of the house over the long break.

This will help in future paid job hunting and look good on uni applications.
Also check out the job sites like indeed and your local Facebook as sometimes jobs do pop up.

Great that it worked out for you. Are you suggesting that all the people who have been trying, with no luck, to find a job are lying?

My original post, if you read it, was in response to someone saying the only way to get a job is through connections - by sharing that was not my experience.

I haven't said anyone is "lying." But obviously it's easier to get a customer facing job if you are sociable and smiley... when I've worked in shops I've had people's mums frogmarch them in to hand a CV looking like they absolutely didn't want to be there - I'm probably not going to consider hiring them. If this isn't your personality you're going to struggle more.

You're accusing me of using my personal experience to generalise but you are doing the same thing. It just happens that my experience is that it's easy to get a part time job as a teenager and yours is that it isn't!

It depends on what part of the country you're in. In Manchester my DD got no offers of jobs at all in several months of taking her CV into cafés and shops.
Now we've moved to a market town in the South East she got offers of 3 jobs in 24 hours after popping into (almost) every coffee shop and shop on the High Street. Mimimum wage for a 16 year old isn't a lot and the jobs are zero hours contracts but I think it's good experience. Also they will probably ask for a trial shift and that seems to be unpaid which isn't fair. I said I would pay her trial shift ( 3 hours) to encourage her to go. I would encourage your 16 yo to try it OP.

My DD already has a weekend job and might pick up some extra shifts but no I don’t expect her to get a full time job

If she’s going on to do A’levels then she needs a break as these are the hardest exams she will take (more so than Uni). I’ve just been through this with my daughter. If she wants a p/t job then then the only places that are likely to take her on at her age are McDonalds, a local pub for pot washing or maybe Currys PC World who occasionally take on p/t 16 year olds but this would be a permanent p/t contract for 8 or 12 hours a week with more hours available as overtime. I know this as that’s what my twins have been through this.

And I agree with CherryPavlova. Unless you are in very straightened circumstances and any money she could earn is needed, I think it is a mistake to view "useful employment" too narrowly.

My dd spent her summers doing AmDram and learnt a lot from that; ds has spent a lot of time helping his grandparents with renovating work and I wouldn't say that has been time wasted either. I used to spend mine partly fishing, partly reading. Both have come in useful in later life.

NEtoN10

Actually I was referring to this comment:

All through uni I was constantly told people couldn't find jobs, I got one in my first two weeks

My experience was that it was easy enough to get work as a teen. In 2002. I also trust the word of people who say their teens are struggling to find work as they are up against older teens, uni students, etc. The market has changed, it's not impossible but it's not easy for many.

Part time, fine. Full time, YABVVU. “Character building”? Fine if you want them to burn out halfway through A Levels, crack on.

If not, give the poor kid a break.

Can't believe how many people on here don't expect their teens to get a bit of a job .

Actually, the vast majority of people here say it's great for teenagers to get a bit of a job. But are also trying to point out that full-time temp work for eight weeks is OTT and is probably not viable anyway because it's very hard to find that kind of position now.

My work have taken on summer temps for the past few years. But they are kids of employees. And they assist the receptionist/filing team.

When I was at school and uni I worked in Hsbc making up cash orders for local businesses and also bagging up coin. Dm also worked for Hsbc so she got me the job.

I had a summer job as an office temp when I was at university. I got 4 days work the whole summer and there is no planning it because they just ring you at 7am asking if you can come in. This was london too. I think you are dreaming tbh that she will just walk into a job

We didn't expect ours to work, they wanted to.

DS1 got a job in a local garden centre but unfortunately that went bankrupt but within days he got a weekend job in a clothes shop. He worked there all through his A levels, did extra days in the holidays, and left the day before he joined the army.

DS2 was really lucky because a friend of DS1 was leaving his job in the local bakery so put his name forward. He started there about a week after GSCEs and stayed until he went to uni. He did lots of overtime in the holidays.

Once he went to uni he got a job in a bar within 3 weeks and worked that around his placements on the wards as he did nursing. He'd stay behind for a couple of weeks in the holidays so he could work, too.

None of their grades suffered due to their jobs. They were both able to buy cars and go on holidays with their mates which was their incentives.

If there is anything available I would encourage him to apply for work but unless you live in an area with a lot of tourism/seasonal agriculture I don’t think he is likely to get anything full time. Why would an employer go the expense of hiring and training an inexperienced 16 year old knowing full well that they will only be around for 8 weeks? So by the time they know enough to be useful they will be leaving? If there are temp jobs available I am sure any employer will be looking for someone with references and experience and the flexibility to do a few more weeks if required.

OTOH if you live near a seaside resort there will be lots of work available but the money and conditions won’t be great. My 16 year old cousin spent her summer holidays washing up for a local chipper 7 days a week. It necessitated living away from home in a delapidated caravan with a horde of other girls and a good time was had by all but the life experience she gained wasn’t quite what her mum had in mind 😂.

I think YABU wanting full-time work. However, like many, I think a p/t job is reasonable. It's not always true that family connections are the only way to get work at 16. Both my DDs (18 & 19) worked in a local ice-cream shop since just before they turned 16. DD1 stayed until she went to university and would have happily spent last summer working there (5-6 hours per day) but was asked to work for a company at short notice which fits well with her degree. DD2 opts for as many 5-6 hour shifts as she can. Last summer she ran the shop for a week with just the owners' son so got a pay rise for that. She has taken a month off for her A levels (last one right now) and will be working from Sunday again. She also does babysitting.

Both also do online surveys. It's not the best paid work, but they like the bonus of £25 or £50 every few months and it's a legal job they can do from their beds!

Yes I would expect mine to try and fine some sort of paid work over that period. Not necessarily full time but something.

Working (one day a week) boosts wellbeing

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/working-one-day-a-week-boosts-your-mental-health-5r7d6tdhq?shareToken=a1eefacc1856c33a5f67ffcee619a2a9

August birthdays find it difficult to get anything after GCSEs. Some of us live in the sticks with no public transport. There is no need to work full time but doing something like volunteering is just as good. There are so many more students now than years ago and many are looking for work. I think it’s difficult for 16 year olds in this market. They will also have longer working lives than their parents so does one year not working really matter in the light of a whole lifetime?

My now 15 year old started volunteering 4 hours a week with me last summer and will do again this summer, too. He can't get paid work at his age where we live. When he's 16 he wants to do Saturdays in one of the shops in town, hopefully they will have vacancies but if not I'm not going to force it. I think a few hours a week at that age is a good thing but no, not a full time job.

Even if there are jobs in your area for 16yo your DS is likely to have missed the boat on them. I live in a tourist area and they all advertised for summer jobs around Easter. My D had a great job working in a park at age 16/17 and the ice cream place takes on youngsters but many employers prefer 18 and over.

As the mum of a 17 year old I think you are beig unrealistic. Dd is struggling to find anything as she is competing against the 18 year old university students.

The child employment laws linked to earlier only apply until the last Friday of June in Year 11 (regardless of numerical age at that point) but there are also also employment laws affecting young people under the age of 18. These restrict the type and hours of work they can do and also give rights to longer rest breaks and shorter working weeks. So many empoyers find it easier to employ over 18's.