Sis aqua what do mean by not to face up to realities?
Yes , totoo naman na undergrads may iba may work na. My brother from UPD has internship din on his 3rd - 4th year college with salary. Siya pa pinagaagawan ng mga company. Iba kasi pag nurse talaga. Now for medical naman na siya sa isang big hospital. Hopefully tuloy tuloy na.
Life is tougher for all new grads nowadays. That's the reality. Dati, IMO, it was enough to graduate. & go around filing applications. lalo na if grad ka ng Ateneo, La Salle, UP -- parang assume you choose where you wanna work. Well, not anymore.
So ok, be supportive, give encouragement, stay positive - ganon ganon. But nowadays, kelangan may strategy ka, hindi ka pa grad kelangan meron ka ng ganon so you are 2 steps ahead of everyone. It is not a simplistic issue of filing applications ahead of everyone. But of positioning yourself (through your choice of electives & internships/summer jobs, high grades, & of course - patronage - another reality) to be a notch above the average. That is the reality now. Hindi lang sa nauna ka, but what do you have the herd doesn't have?
I am not familiar with nurses. But I asked a cousin why she sent her daughter to study nursing at Trinity/St Luke's -- hindi ba dami na nurses in the US? (They are US citizens.). In NYC, 3 hospitals closed last year. She said -- hindi lang hospitals kelangan ng nurses. Apparently, the home-care nurses (they have clients they check on regularly, hindi sila caregivers ha) earn a lot too. She said, there is no reason for any nurse to be unemployed/underemployed. But of course, to be a nurse the hospital will not fire, or to qualify as a roving nurse -- one must have extra training in certain specialized fields. She said like herself, she will not get easily fired coz she is well-trained for heart patient - ICU.
Going back to your bf & his dad... & other realities to face...m Well, fathers are generally more demanding with their sons. The sons are meant to be padre de familias, that is the cultural expectation & pressure. So, gets ko kung bakit naiinip the father. As for the construction business -- dapat lang your bf helps when he's free, it is a filial duty and obligation to the business the whole family benefits from (that's just my opinion) BUT your bf should prioritize his passion (nursing) and the requirements for his pursuit thereof. But, ok naman your BF's dad. May construction business na nga --- hindi pinilit your bf mag engineering.
Ako, lol, pipilitin ko 1 of my kids to be an engineer. Este, convince/sales talk/bribe. Sayang naman our business. Not to continue what we are doing as-is (but we aren't complaining; thank you, God) -- but to take off from there. Ang magulang, generally, gusto yung na establish na growing concern eh mapalaki pa lalo ng anak. So, give the old man some credit. Baka hindi lang malambing or as patient as your family -- kanya kanyang family dynamics kasi. But bottom-line, parents want their kids to succeed and be happy.

.