I give you it may be a regional thing.
I remember the day when i got my National insurance number aged 15. Great I thought i can go and get work in the oil yards.
Signed up with a labour agency and over the summer hols. earned myself nearly 4 grand doing 6x14 shifts. Although I must admit that my mother was a bit upset when she found out that the work was pipe slinging, shot blasting and drifting. I should imagine its now banned someone that young having to dodge 10 tonnes of pipe rolling off a stack or running an industrial shot blaster. It still makes me shiver thinking about doing a over night shift in the snow up in altens.
In my experence the more dirty dangerous horrible hours the work is the better payed. For most of the group of students who used to work during the holidays they still don't make as much money as those holiday jobs. And student loans got us some rather nice returns on the stock market. My first job as a graduate engineer for 15k was a bloody shock.
Now the skills i reckon would keep you in good stead as a school leaver trying to decide how to get enough dosh to fly.
No degree
1. Plumber
2. Joiner
3. Roofer
4. Carpet Layer
5. HGV
6. LPC
7. Sparky
8. Bricky
Degree
1. Dentist
2. Optician
3. Pharmasist
All these jobs allow you to do homers or locum work when money is either tight or your unemployed and all are very well payed.
MJ