Assuming Brexit happens is anyone advising their children ....

[frozendaisy]

Hello all Newbie here, with things on my mind, so assuming that Brexit is going to happen one way or another, is anyone advising their children to study for subjects that will enable them to leave the UK once they become part of the workforce? That is what we are doing we are, light-heartedly at the moment, suggesting "Canada babies" just to sow the seed. (In case it is usual we have 10 & 8yr olds).

And of course, Finance. Though that is largely STEM. And Accounting.

I really don't understand wanting to leave your own country, when it seems so many desperately want to come here

I used to hear this a lot about having immigrated to the UK from the US. I haven't really heard it in years. Some people's paradise is others hell.

Brexit hasn't really changed what I advise my kids. Immigration can be beyond worthwhile, I can't really imagine my life having not done so, but it's also difficult, getting more difficult all the time, and it's not something I would encourage my kids to do unless they really really wanted to do so for their own reasons.

I think a lot of people, probably not a majority, but a sizeable number have that interest in living abroad even if only on a temporary basis. I know it's always appealed to me. I never thought of it being permanent though. I don't know whether it will be. We are happy in Germany, we have a good standard of living, our kids have great opportunities and the weather is better. It also feels a lot more stable at least for now.

Good luck to you all who plan to move to Canada. Make sure you've saved a couple million Dollars to get on the housing market. House prices here are astronomical due to the Chinese washing thier dirty money through real estate.

Every single criminal in the world as well as a few corrupt nations has been laundering money through the City of London for decades, with the same result. Is it worse than here??

I am encouraging my DDs to apply for their dual nationality British passports so that they can still travel unburdened after Brexit.

They are doing degrees in Sweden as the conditions are better - no tuition fees, a non-repayable grant of £300 per months and loans for £700 per month

My eldest child has an overseas birth citizenship, but is British by descent through me. I'm encouraging both children to study science, because my own experience is that with some science specialisms, the world is still fairly borderless. If you are a scientist in certain medical fields or NHS trained, there are nations where you will be on the priority occupation/long term skill shortage lists and your visa applications will be straightforward if you are of good character. I would support my children studying overseas and working overseas. I don't see that their best future is necessarily in the UK. My ancestors left Ireland under desperate circumstances, I don't feel an ingrained sense of Englishness at any price.

My assumption is that if you do a degree in the country and thus speak and write it very well you are more likely to get a job there. Am I wrong?

It depends entirely on how visas are awarded. Language competency is only one part. But there is a fairly low/intermediate level of language required usually, any extra fluency above that usually makes no difference. However by doing a degree in a country you are more likely to make links with industry and therefore land a job which may sponsor you, but it's not guaranteed.

by 2004 I was shocked at the extent to which that situation had reversed.
That is interesting. In what ways had the standard of living declined? Do you think reunification had anything to do with it?

I've worked out a possible way for DC to get a working Visa. But would all EEA/EU job candidates still get priority over her? My interest in her becoming very good at the language is so that she would be more attractive to employers. I agree that satisfying the language requirements for the Visa is easier.

I couldn’t disagree more about learning a language in your spare time. Learning a language is about so much more than linguistic skills, it is a key to culture and understanding how a country works and overcoming your unconscious cultural bias. I lived in a country for three years before I went on to study its language and culture and I am embarrassed now that I was so arrogant as to think I could effectively
advise businesses there on strategy. It was like operating with one hand behind my back. I now live and work between cultures and by far the most important thing on my CV is my area studies masters, not my MBA . The same is true for a colleague who did a MFL degree in German and French when she is consulting For European companies. She is so much more effective than I can be. You can of course pursue a business career anywhere but Chinese, Middle East or any other area studies will take your child further.

Also I obviously do not share the preoccupation with lining your STEM inclined child up for medicine. It requires a particular skill set, above all people skills, and far too many brilliant STEM students are drawn to it as a magnet when they are ill equipped for the interpersonal, mental and physical challenges. There are so many more challenging careers open to a bright STEM student if they look beyond the obvious.....

Most global businesses now have a language and an ability to operate across different cultures as key competencies they look for in their graduate recruitment process.

Re languages giving you a head start, most Europeans speak English well, so they are already bilingual. That wouldn't give you an advantage over an EU citizen who is so much easier to employ. I was thinking it would make it easier for you to fit in and give you an advantage over other Brits with the same qualifications and no languages, but you'd still need a skill that is in demand abroad and in demand within the EU.

We have been to three uni open days recently and have been told the same thing by all three. UK students are ditching language studies in their droves, which will make those that do study languages highly sought after in future.

Emilyontmoor you won't be recruited solely for your degree in French unless your degree is from a university system where you study a wide range of subjects as well as your degree subject. You need expertise aside from the language.

Is there any chance you could become a schoolteacher abroad, teaching English?

Just to point out that the Canadians inject their beef with growth hormones.

Just beef though, not milk cows like the states.

Canada also has a free trade agreement with the United States. Oh, wait...

Their closest neighbour and largest trading partner. In the UK that would be...

House prices here are astronomical due to the Chinese washing thier dirty money through real estate.

About 5% per year rise due to money laundering, not just the Chinese. And mainly Ontario and BC (Toronto and Lower Mainland/Vancouver Island). There is lost of dirty money moving through London as well.

Math This is the skill set that PWC, as an example of a global organisation, are looking for. Why would a languages graduate not have gained the experience to demonstrate these skills, with a head start in global competency? I know MFL students who have worked for Saatchi in Madrid, or set themselves up as tutors around Europe who certainly displayed these qualities whereas I know STEM graduates who could not. Business is about the whole person and whether they offer skills, most of which apart from operational / intellectual competency have more to do with the way they have lived / studied than what they studied.... I actually rate common sense as my prime requirement in a manager, sadly rocket science often gets in the way of good business sense...

www.pwc.co.uk/careers/student-jobs/apply/the-skills-we-look-for.html