Paid summer opportunities for 15 year old?
My son will be 15 this summer and is looking for paid job opportunities. Any suggestions? He seems to be at that age where most things are unpaid (or even require fees to take part) and he hopes to earn some spending money for himself. He participated in a CIT program last summer and has done some work through our local soccer league, working as a referee in the fall. Would appreciate any and all ideas. Thank you!
Dec 20, 2023
Parent Replies
Once he turns 15, he can apply for lifeguarding work. Pools will train!
El Cerrito Youth Baseball is always looking for youth umpires — no need to be a baseball player, and the pay is pretty good. Www.ecyb.org , umpire registration will open in mid-Jan I believe. You can email info [at] ecyb.org to express interest.
are you sure the pools will train? Don't you have to take an official course? My 16 year old wants to do this too.
Lifeguarding! There's a major shortage of lifeguards, and SO MANY POOLS. It's truly needed and valuable work.
My daughter did the City of Berkeley YouthWorks program and it was pretty awesome. Getting it was a lot of jumping through hoops, like applying for a program not just a job, with group trainings that last a whole week. But if you're selected and make it that far, you're paid, and the placements are everything from counseling at camps to working and learning at the Ecology Center, the Farmer's Market, and other cool community interactions in the job.
Not every kid got in or got placed AFAIK, but you do get to express your preference for what kind of work you are willing to do (with kids, outdoors, etc.). I was very proud of my daughter for getting placed as she did and what she learned, all while earning along the way. A great program.
I just looked up the lifeguard certification for Berkeley public pools. You do have to be 15 and you have to take the Lifeguarding training course, which costs money. (Although if you think you might qualify for scholarship funds, it doesn't hurt to ask.) There are class sessions in February, March, and over spring break to get you ready by summer.
For any youth not 15 yet, the Berkeley pools offer a Junior Lifeguarding camp for ages 11-14 in the summers. It's a great way for youth to learn what it's like to be a lifeguard and see if it's something they might want to pursue.
And for 16-year-olds, they can apply to become City of Berkeley summer camp counselors. They work alongside adults, and it's a great way to build work experience.