What to do at 18

reynardthe

My daughter turns 18 next month. She has left school and only does a few hours a week unpaid volunteering.She was doing a college course but finished early as it involved too much travelling and she hated it!She wants a job but there is very little work for young people round here at the moment.Also she has told me very clearly that she does'nt want to do any more courses!
She is registered at Connexions who have been informed of her current situation and we still recieve child benefit and family credit for her.
I just wondered what we have to to do now-will she have to sign on at the job center on her 18th birthday or can we still recieve CB and tax credits for her for a bit longer.
Any advice greatly appreciated

DCFC79

This should answer your questions

samwich1979

Its crazy that kids can just turn round to their parents and say im not going to college because i hate it and cant be bothered with the traveling!
At 16 my mother would not allow me to just leave school and sign on JSA, i went straight into an apprenticeship for 2 years even though i wasnt sure it was a job i wanted to do.
I have never been out of education or work in my life so far, granted i was a teenager in the 90's and it was a little easier to gain training and employment then but this is no excuse for the kind of attitude the OP's daughter has and as a parent i just would not allow it.

This is why our society is so dependent on benefits these days.

I suggest your daughter look into apprenticeships or other training which will gain her employment, signing on at 18 will not do her employment prospects any good whatsoever.

nathand_2

samwich1979 wrote: »

Its crazy that kids can just turn round to their parents and say im not going to college because i hate it and cant be bothered with the traveling!
At 16 my mother would not allow me to just leave school and sign on JSA, i went straight into an apprenticeship for 2 years even though i wasnt sure it was a job i wanted to do.
I have never been out of education or work in my life so far, granted i was a teenager in the 90's and it was a little easier to gain training and employment then but this is no excuse for the kind of attitude the OP's daughter has and as a parent i just would not allow it.

This is why our society is so dependent on benefits these days.

I suggest your daughter look into apprenticeships or other training which will gain her employment, signing on at 18 will not do her employment prospects any good whatsoever.

Yes, free will is a complete pain

Oldernotwiser

nathand wrote: »

Yes, free will is a complete pain

Better than being 18 with no job, no qualifications and no money!

OP, when she is 18 she can claim JSA - you can only claim CB/CTC for a short while after she leaves education. With any luck it might make her think differently about dropping out of college.

DanDan18

It is worth noting that i am nearly of the same age. Went to college at 16, hated it, told my parents i'd leave and did so, even though they where not pleased. I started working within customer services at a local theme park and then moved onto healthcare customer services. I've then moved onto learning clinical software and now manage that software for one of the biggest hospitals in europe. And i am only 19 coming upto 20. College is more a neccessity if you want University, and if your daughter does not want to go there and doesn't enjoy it, then she shouldn't go or find something that she enjoys more. Always remember than anything is possible if you put your mind to it and have the ambition to do so. Money was my motivation, and to proove my parents wrong!

19lottie82

DanDan18 wrote: »

It is worth noting that i am nearly of the same age. Went to college at 16, hated it, told my parents i'd leave and did so, .......to proove my parents wrong!

Well, looks like you managed that alright! :rotfl:

Notmyrealname

reynardthe wrote: »

My daughter turns 18 next month. She has left school and only does a few hours a week unpaid volunteering.She was doing a college course but finished early as it involved too much travelling and she hated it!She wants a job but there is very little work for young people round here at the moment.Also she has told me very clearly that she does'nt want to do any more courses!

Ah, this is easy. Drag her around all the agencies that supply factory workers. Have her applying for factory process working, cleaning jobs etc.

A few weeks working 40hrs a week on a production line putting cheese circles on burgers will change her mind.

gibson123

reynardthe wrote: »

My daughter turns 18 next month. She has left school and only does a few hours a week unpaid volunteering.She was doing a college course but finished early as it involved too much travelling and she hated it!She wants a job but there is very little work for young people round here at the moment.Also she has told me very clearly that she does'nt want to do any more courses!
She is registered at Connexions who have been informed of her current situation and we still recieve child benefit and family credit for her.
I just wondered what we have to to do now-will she have to sign on at the job center on her 18th birthday or can we still recieve CB and tax credits for her for a bit longer.
Any advice greatly appreciated

As she volunteers, she is obviously not just being lazy.

Best for her to decide she has had enough college and school for now before she wastes any more time. After 13 years of the classroom many young people need a change, encourage her to try new experiences. Try to encourage her to have a personal ambitious goal in mind such as travelling, volunteering abroad or something else she would find worthwhile. Yes these things can cost, but if she takes an ok for now job even things like babysitting or odd jobs, just to save enough money to achieve her goal then that's good too.

Don't let her listen to all the numptys in the world who are just too quick to write off and out down our young people and too quick to quote "back in the day".

our young people need time and space to find their way in the world, and if they make a wrong turn, then just encourage them to find a different path.

Have a look out for apprenticeships that may suit her as well.

DanDan18

19lottie82 wrote: »

Well, looks like you managed that alright! :rotfl:

Absolutely !!!!ing Hilarious.

SueC_2

Many many moons ago when I was 16 I told my parents that I hated college and didn't want to continue.

They were fine with the idea, but made it perfectly clear that whilst they were perfectly happy to support me through college, if I was grown up enough to start making my own decisions, and as a consequence chose to leave education then, as an adult, they would expect me to start paying market-value for my board and keep. Once I'd gone out and found a job that meant I could afford this, then I was able to leave college.