Working teens

Name: Sarah Williams

Age: 18

Job: Play Scheme Assistant

Hours: 38 per week in the summer holidays

Pay: $ 6. 50 per hour

“I love working with children and I want to become a teacher after university. Working on a play scheme is fun and good work experience. I don’t need the money as my parents give me a good allowance of $100 a month. I work for 6 weeks during the summer. About 80 children come to the Youth Centre every day. In the Centre there are 6 Assistants like me, and a Play Leader. We prepare activities like painting, drawing and crafts. We also organize games in the afternoon. This year it is my responsibility to take children on a trip to the zoo.”

###

Name: Keith Lewis

Age: 17

Job: Babysitter

Hours: 10 per week

Pay: $ 5. 00 per hour

“This is the best job in the world. My parents have many friends with younger children. They call me when they want to go to a restaurant or pub for the evening. When I arrive the children are usually already in bed. I sit in the living room and watch TV. The children almost never wake up, and anyway they are not usually babies, so I just can tell them to go back to sleep. The best thing in this job is that I don’t need to pay any extra money – it is all cash-in-hand.”

###

Name: Tom Maxwell

Age: 15

Job: Fast-food Restaurant Worker

Hours: 8 per week

Pay: $ 4. 50 per hour

“I love this job. It’s never boring because you are busy all the time. You can talk with your colleagues and have fun while you work. You also can get discount on the food here. I have to say that I am not so keen on burgers now I have been working here for 6 months. My job is a Saturday job. I am saving to buy a car when I am seventeen.”

Speaking