rebetzin- there is more to responsibility than having a job. Like I said, jobs come and go. I was referring to E”Y seminary in the ideal sense, where parents do not give their daughters free reign of the credit cards, a lush bank account to always take out money, and unlimited phone calls. E”Y seminary is, and for many people I know has been, a scenario in which they were given a limited budget for the month, maybe a credit card for emergencies ( real ones…like when the bus broke down and they needed to take a taxi to get back to the dorm or if they C”V had a medical emergency and needed to see a doctor) and a fixed number of times they could use their phone internationally.
It does not have to be internationally, as long as it is away from their hometown and far enough that they can’t just come home when they get homesick and miss mommy. Being away from home for 9 months is like a trial run for marriage. Some seminaries require the girls to cook one meal a day, all require the girls to do their own laundry, all require keeping their room (as well as some general/common areas) clean and orderly…. its a microcosm of the macrocosm- marriage.
There are ways to start training for a career in seminary, especially Montreal and Yavneh. And anyways- you can get through these technical schools and some colleges so quickly that they should be able to have a final year away. Icing on the cake to help solidify them before marriage. There is no need for them to have their BA by the time they are 18. If they have it by 19 or 20 they are still way ahead of the goyish world. Having a job in no way is a sign of “maturity” the same way living on your own far from home is.