What I have done with my son is this:
there has been no work for the young in my area. So I needed a tileing job, painting jobs and a bricking job done. Big ones. I bought him the tools for the jobs and he learned all the trades. So at 17 he tiles, paints and bricks. My work comes first.
He has all the work he wants.
Thats all fine and well. He does plenty of chores around our house from cutting tree limbs and landscaping to painting and such. However, this is expected of him in my house and he does not earn $$$$ doing it.
Sorry, we are talking about economics here not parenting.
I was about to suggest the same thing. He could look online for the free classified ads in his town. Place an ad that says:
HOME MAINTENANCE - Most Jobs $25 - $75 and then a list of the $25 and the $75 jobs
Then a phone number. There are about 25 free classified sites for any town. Re-posting the ads each day in the morning should generate business.
I know its not as fun as emailing a resume to a Monster Board ad like everyone else on the planet...but work is work. Single mothers need pictures hung, bushes trimmed, trash removed, garages cleaned out, snow blown, lawns mowed etc... plus it shows a prospective employer initiative...something that is much more rare than a college degree these days.