Gap year advice please

[twosoups1972]

I don't know if anyone has seen my other thread about my dd, but in summary she has just decided to take a Gap Year instead of doing extra A Levels. She has a university place lined up for next year.

She and I have done some research online but it's so overwhelming, lots of different companies/opportunities etc. I'm hoping it's not too late to apply for something.

If anyone has experience of gap years in recent years, what organisation did you go through?

She would prefer paid work if possible and prefers Europe or US/Canada. She's interested in childcare but it seems you have to have a lot of previous experience, or teaching English but you have to have a qualification for that.

Any tips or advice would be gratefully received! Thank you.

something like this might suit her. it combines teaching english with childcare, and she gets free lodging in return for her work in Cyprus x

We've been looking at similar with dd. Try workaway, some pay, others offer board and experience. Does she have languages?

It probably is too late for the formal scheme for the US, Canada is easier to get a visa. Au pair work is the easiest to get at this late stage

@LIZS she has some Spanish (Grade A at GCSE and has studied some of the A Level course). She did a week's work experience in Spain last year which she enjoyed.

A lot of the things we've looked at online require an upfront fee.

For Canada you need to apply for a working holiday visa it's quite a complicated and expensive process. If she wants to work in childcare not sure if she applies to Au Pair then a medical exam is required another expense. My Ds is doing a ski season in Canada going Early November but is working and saving hard before he goes. Good luck with her plans.

@whereshalligo so he’s working here first to save up? What job is he doing and how did he get it?

Yes working here beforehand combination of swimming teacher evenings and weekend, lifeguard covering PE lessons during the day, some gap year work in a prep school and babysitting. He's been very lucky with work.
For Canada he went through a company called the working holiday club might be worth having a look at.

There are lots of au pair jobs available in Madrid especially for native English speakers. It would be an exciting experience and you can become fluent in Spanish which will be a real asset.

Workaseason employs "snow rangers" to look after 3-12 year olds in Ski Esprit ski resorts. You may be a bit late but worth a try. They also have summer opportunities.

DD also worked in an American summer camp looking after teenagers (though they had children from the age of about 6) arranged via Camp America. (Yes up-front fee, but they earned it. There was a lot of admin involved.)