What do your 18/19/20 yr olds do for work?

[gangan87]

What do your 18/19/20 yr olds who aren't at uni or on a degree apprenticeship do for work?

I have 2 teens one is keen for uni and the other has no plans after A levels and seems in no rush to get a job. She doesn't really go out or spend no money so in her eyes she has no real reason to get a job - her friends all seem the same.

We are telling her that she needs to do something but she wants a couple of years off to chill!!!!!!!!

I hope that she may get bored but she is quite lazy and is quite happy lying in bed all day on her phone to her mates and I worry as none of them apart from the two that are going to uni seem to have any inclination to work either.

This is a real problem, there are too many 18 to 25 year olds just being allowed to do nothing, no uni no training, not working. Therefore not contributing to society in any way at all. Parents just let them. Then everyone wonders why there has to be cuts to benefits.

She isn't overly social so doesn't go out much and since she left her job in January she says she hasn't missed the money at all!!!

OK, but I am guessing that
-you are not charging her any rent
-you are providing her with food and at least basic toiletries
-you are providing at least basic clothing
-you are paying for* her phone
-you are paying for* her transport or giving her lifts to places
-you are paying for* her to get the odd lunch or coffee out

You might be well paying for stuff over and above this e.g. I know parents who've paid for their children to go to festivals or on holiday post A Levels

Plus, if she's previously had a part time job, she might well have a pot of savings from that still

All of which is entirely reasonable and normal when she is a 17/18 year old and still in full time school/college studying for her A Levels.

After A Levels you may well want to continue to provide the first couple of things on that list (roof over her head, basic food and toiletries) but I'd suggest you should stop doing any of the rest and it probably won't be too long before she feels differently about not wanting money.

*when I say paying for, this is either directly, or you are giving her an allowance which covers these costs

My daughter worked as a Teaching Assistant in the SEND school I teach at, and as a play worker at a SEND play scheme in her year our before going to University. She loved it and has gone on to study in the same field.

DD1 fast food then hospital kitchen then did degree.
DD 2 fruit and veg shop then retail while volunteering at RSPCA then full time RSPCA while also studying. Now council ranger.
Expectation was always that they would work as well as fair share of helping in house, cook and clean.
Both did travel, 1 as a gap year and 1 for 7 weeks as leave with out pay along with annual leave from retail job.

God almighty! Where is her work ethic?

I’d say she needs to find something, as she’s an adult now and needs to continue to the household. And do her share of cooking, cleaning, etc.

Lying around for two years will do her - and her cv - no good at all.

Supermarket and restaurant

My 19 year old has an engineering apprenticeship - level 3.

DS on a level 2 apprenticeship but paid well above apprentice minimum wage as works shifts.

Him working or studying full time has always been non negotiable. I’ve always told him I don’t care what job he does as long as he’s working full time. Dropped out of college at 17 & had a few dead end jobs while applying for apprenticeships. If he hadn’t been working/applying I’d have fed him but that would’ve been the bare minimum- no phone, no socialising, no car insurance etc. My parents helped me financially but never tolerated laziness: staunch working class ethic- you work full time (if not studying full time), even if it’s cleaning up other people’s shit but you do not sit on your arse.

DS - Labourer but studying part time to be a plumber. DD - fashion stylist, got full time job after internship. Neither went to uni. Both V happy

The house rule was education / training or work.
doing nothing was not an option!
Dd1 did waitressing at college and bar work at uni.
dd2 worked at McDonald’s at college and did an apprenticeship after.
They have both worked since 16.

Ideas

Train on the job to be a sports coach, a teaching assistant, barista, bartender, retail assistant, beautician, hairdresser, security guard, chef

Take a short course in bookkeeping, carpentry, childcare, life guarding, massage,

Look on the council website for trainee/junior roles in local government

Do you talk to her about how Women need to hopefully earn enough so that they can look after themselves. Nobody wants their DD to feel that she’s stuck in a relationship because she thinks that she won’t cope alone.

Do you also talk about the Women you know and what they do for work?

I am hoping that she is just so stressed out with exam pressure and revision that she will look at getting some kind of work.... she is very bright and capable, and she works so very very hard and has been predicted BBC. She knows she doesn't want office work, shop work or hospitality. She has always liked working with children and teaching was an option many years ago so maybe some kind of nannying or teaching assistant work could be an option..... I think I may lay off the pressure of even talking about it until after A levels but I have made it clear that she needs a job and also needs to pay us rent.... there just seems to be a culture nowadays that young adults don't need to work and she knows so many people that are planning on doing nothing she seems to think it is ok. She knows a few people who left sixth form last year and one works part time and the other just gets ad hoc shifts in a pub now and then. I think because you come out with so much debt fewer and fewer people are going to uni. She only knows two people going in the autumn.

Friend's son did a year's lifeguarding before joining the navy. See if the local leisure centres are advertising vacancies as they will put you through the training, assuming she's a decent swimmer.

My son is about to finish his college course in June and has said he doesn't want to go back to college as there is no level 3 in plumbing and also no apprenticeships in the area. We are very rural. Instead he wants to increase his hours working as a KP in a restaurant kitchen. He has worked there for two years doing three days/eves a week.
I've been thinking about this and trying to encourage him to go back to college in September, but the college say he can't do another construction course and nothing is exciting him.
So,I'm trying to calm myself and hopefully the fact he works and wants to work will go in his favour, and that his three best mates don't work and all dropped out of college and my son is eager to and hasn't had a day off I'll since he started.
Driving lessons didn't go well for him,with college,work and driving lessons,he almost had a breakdown last year,so tomorrow he is booked in for a CBT course and hopefully he can get a moped and get himself to his job so I'm not back and forth all week.

You're right about the number of teens who aren't in college or employment, my son hangs around with them. They're all polite, lovely young men.
The problem is they don't have maths or don't have English gcse and most jobs ask for these. The government are bringing in apprenticeships from the age of 19 where they won't be required so hopefully this will help the third of kids who dont achieve the magic '4'. That goes for my son too who is still stuck on a 3.

My dd left sixth form early as she has autism and was burnt out and unwell.

She now worked part time in a pharmacy and also has another freelance job. She may go back into education
At some point but isn't ready yet.

I'm super proud of her as she has had it really hard the last few years.

Err, she'll need money to pay rent and bills, not just for spending on fun stuff. Who the hell has the option to just chill for a couple of YEARS?!

Career wise, as others have said, she can see an advisor and look into what she wants to do. But separate to that, she needs to be applying - after A levels - for anything in order to sharpen up her focus. Without a private income (and/or a free home and board), the world doesn't work like that.

Mine both did a variety during A levels - worked at a baby swimming company, babysitting, worked in a coffee shop, worked in a supermarket, bar work once 18. Always something to bring some money in for going out and holidays.

My 19 year old stepdaughter goes to college about 2.5 days a week. All she does the rest of the time is stay in her room on her phone. I think she should get a part time job but she's "too tired". Also says she doesn't need money because she doesn't go out, socialise or drive.
Really difficult for me to understand because I got my first part time job aged 15 and worked part time (shops etc) until I got a full time job after Uni.
Maybe I'm just old school?

I have 19 year old twins. Neither are interested in Uni. both have finished local equivalent of A levels. My son is half way through an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic. He repairs and maintains big machines in forestry, farms, construction. He is currently working away on a wind farm project. He works long hours, makes decent money and likes his work. My daughter makes coffee in a local coffee shop. It’s a popular place. She does 35 hours a week and is often on their socials with her coffee art.

Doesn’t she need money for clothes, make-up and toiletries?

Nope. Her mum (my partner) buys everything for her.

My 19 year old brother is searching for an electrician apprenticeship.

My 21 year old sister is on placement for nursing.

I'm 22 and worked in food service for 4 years, until I got married and became a SAHM.

Chilling for a couple of years shouldn't be an option, unless she's funding it entirely by herself.