Lack of meaningful things for undergrads over the summer.

[Coffeeonloop]

My YPs are finding it hard to be occupied over this summer, despite putting in effort to get paid jobs / volunteering experiences well in advance.

Is it harder because the job market is tighter generally?

What are other people's undergraduate YPs doing over the Summer?

Yes, the entry level job market is difficult at the moment.

Mine (first year civil engineering) is doing a summer internship - he applied for it in the Autumn term, when there were lots being advertised.

Last summer (between school and uni) he did casual labour on building sites. He's also qualified as a lifeguard, so does casual shifts at local sports centres. Both of these roles needed a bit of investment of time and money upfront, but the costs were recouped after a couple of days work. For the labouring he needed a CSCS Green Card (which he was eligible for after doing 2 online health & safety courses) and some safety clothing (hat, boots, gloves etc). For the lifeguarding he did a 5 day NPLQ course at a local pool and needs to do regular training to stay qualified.

My long experience with undergrads taught me that they need to get organized a very long time ahead - if they wait until Easter or, worse still, after the end of the second semester, all the good opportunities for work, summer schools or volunteering will have been hoovered up by more organized students.

It might be worth hunting around on here: https://www.summerschoolsineurope.eu

Thanks @Ceramiq
One of mine has a 2 week course with KCL lined up this year, subject adjacent / career relevant. But it is really expensive.
And there's all the rest of the summer, plus the other YP doesn't have anything like this, nor could we find anything. Honestly I think she should have done Camp America, we have dual citizenship so she'd not even have had to worry about visas. Maybe next year...

The UK based summer schools tend to be seriously overpriced and I also think they aren't as valuable for UK undergraduates as they are for international students. I don't think there is a lack of things for undergraduates to do but it requires both advanced planning and resources to get the most out of the summer.

I suspect it depends on the subject / hoped for career trajectory

What subject areas are your children in?

really??? you don't think an adult at university can find a way to occupy themselves meaningfully?

That would be too identifying to say here.

Four months of summer break require significant advance planning and often extra resources (accommodation and travel).

That makes it quite hard to help though! Other than to share general experience

well yes- although managing on very little money is itself a skill to learn
but at the very least they could be- you know- reading

clearly the heat is getting to you...
I didn't ask about activities they can clearly do on a daily basis like reading, gardening, helping neighbors, cooking, socializing, writing their opus etc

If you look at my question at the top - it's about volunteering / paid jobs OUTSIDE the home.

Maybe you should go and lie down for a bit, try baiting people later when you're more clear headed

Sure but even if my DC who just received an extensive reading list from their future MA course convener read the whole thing that would occupy about 5% of the summer holidays and this is just expected. It's not building a CV and meaningful experience of the world.

Is yours have US passports have a chat to Camp America and Camp Canada. They maybe able to get a place where someone has dropped out. They won't get much of a choice though.

I think that's true for internships etc, but the experience here is that summer jobs (although often just for the school summer holiday period) are only just starting to be advertised now. There are definitely fewer about than there were even as recently as last year though.

In terms of "useful things" - volunteer (their dream "experience" might not be available, but there are always places wanting volunteers); learn a language or a new skill; travel; get fit; start reading towards next year; sell old clothes on Vinted (or offer your services out to friends for commission); work out job seeking strategy for next time; get more familiar with use of AI (likely to be useful in any job - can they build an AI agent, for example). They are never likely to have such a long period of free time again; "job" is not the only useful use of the time.

I agree. there's pressure from their dad tho, who seems oblivious to the current state of the world in terms of jobs not being available etc.

If Dad wants to be pro-active in helping I'd suggest he sets up some job alerts on Indeed or similar and forwards any that look suitable. Then, if necessary, he could write/tailor their CVs (for them to review of course). He could even set up a joint email account and send the application off in their name (with their permission of course). That's what I did for my kids' first casual jobs. I did encourage my kids to do it themselves, but they were much more laid back about it than me(after all, none of their friends had jobs), and also entirely clueless/daunted. This way was faster, more productive, less frustrating for me, and modelled the process of getting a job to them so they had a baseline for doing it themselves next time.

Those are good suggestions, but not for their dad, they've done those things already themselves, ages ago.

they are also going through town to see if any coffee shops etc have "help wanted" signs and going inside and giving their cv / trying to meet the manager.

they don't need suggestions on HOW to look for meaningful employment, they are doing that, its FINDING it that is tough

So by "meaningful things" you (or your DH) actually mean "employment (paid or unpaid) relating to future career options"? Not just "meaningful" ways to spend the summer in general?

Youth unemployment is high and seasonal jobs are very competitive and recruitment is largely done. My student has gone to Camp America, and is filling out forms for next summer's internship programmes on the plane!

Oh get over yourself. Its too hot to be pedantic.

It always puzzles me when ppl say it would be outing to say what subject their DC study or what their DH’s hobby is. Sometimes it helps to know.

Anyway, in an attempt to answer your OP @Coffeeonloop (some of your later posts are a bit spiky), what my DC did was:

• DD – had a part-time job at the newsagent (she did a paper round there from age 13 or so) that was basically holiday cover so fitted well around her uni holidays
• DS2 – spent one summer working for the RNLI tho he had organised that in about January; after that got a retail job local to his uni and stayed there over the summer

It’s not easy to suggest things as we don’t know your DC’s interests, but if they are sporty then many sporting clubs would welcome volunteers. I am involved in athletics and we always need people to come and support with officiating at matches – which there are still some of over July and August. Also we have a great team of YP who do our SM which is another possibility. No ££ offered but good experience of working in a team and following instructions.

Other sports would work too – junior football clubs may be doing youth training over the summer, for example. Not sure if any of that is any use but I offer it freely and in a spirit of helpfulness.

Mine have done volunteering to fill gaps or alongside paid work. Volunteered in a museum, stately home garden, with outdoor nature based groups etc. They have blitzed local cafes and pubs with emails/messages/CVs. One got a summer job on a crazy golf course through LinkedIn, one has had three jobs in pubs/retail, in all three cases from them following up some weeks/months later on her CV/email, not immediate. Also signed up with an events agency and has done some work at sporting events through that.

The job market is dire for young people OP and any opportunities seem to be via word of mouth. Our DC who's just finished school is doing some work experience, but it's with my company, DH's company and with the company of another guy my DH knows. I suspect that volunteering is an option, if you know of any openings, but paid work is hard to come by.