Expats in Asia > Obstacles for an Expat in Asia

Becoming British (part 1963)

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Philip:
University education is not for everyone, but many Western countries seem to believe that the more people who get a degree the better. So there are more unemployed graduates than ever before saddled with crippling debts. And there are many employers using lazy recruiting techniques, employing people who have reached a certain educational level as an indicator of quality. They fail to use their common sense and any people skills to get a sense of whether a person will be right for the job.
In the UK, there used to be more of a path for apprenticeships for students who wanted to follow certain careers, e.g carpenters, builders, masons, electricians, etc. But even these have become infected by academic requirements, which put many people off.
Now most careers require higher and higher levels of English and stress the need for academic skills, seemingly nothing to do with a person's ability to do a job.
Two of my sisters are nurses, and they are required to complete degree-level studies to advance in their career.
Everyone has their strengths, some are good with their hands, some are good with people, some are good with their brains. There should be a career path for everyone. But, as you say Maxx, there is now this blanket requirement for a degree. Sad, really. When I look at someone who is good at what they do, I am full of admiration, whether it be a writer, a fork-lift truck driver, a stone mason, an artist, a teacher, a carpenter, a musician, a gardener, a decorator, whatever.
I hope that there is a change in this drive towards degrees. It devalues the qualification itself, and it deprives a significant amount of people of the opportunity to make a living from their abilities, experience and talents.

Willy The Londoner:
I hear what you say Maxx. 

The trouble is that so many marriages do not go the distance.  Then what happens to the kids?  They get to see one parent regularly who may well find the job quite tiring.  The other parent, if the children are lucky, get to see the kids ones a week.

I realised a long while ago that that was not for me.  I do not envy you the pleasure or the pain that results in bringing children into this world.  It is just not for me.

Willy

David E:

--- Quote from: JohnB on August 10, 2014, 11:10:32 am ---DavidE,
I think it safe to say, many of the world's young people eagerly pursue a
university education outside their native country.

What I say is that I think there is hope for your step- son. If he opens his eyes & lets
some light into his mind.

--- End quote ---

I cant argue with your points here, you are dead right.

But the majority of Foreign Students in Aus come here for their Uni education because they ultimately see this as the only way to migrate here permanently. I cant speak for other Countries, but Australian Immigration will usually grant a resident Visa to anybody paying for and completing a Uni degree here. So it becomes yet another pathway to short cut the standard Immigration process...albeit not an easy way and not a cheap way, but nevertheless a short cut of sorts !!

Recent changes after the new Liberal Government changed the Policy means that this short cut is now closed...if you want to come here...get in the queue.

As for my Step-Son opening his eyes and letting light into his mind....that is precisely his problem. So far he has convincingly proved that his culture/background/personality (or whatever) has prevented any of this enlightenment penetrating his mind !! He has been handed a Permanent Resident Visa because his Mum married me...he has a wonderful opportunity to make a good life in Aus and I told him on day one...

" You need to make a decision for your future here, you can be a Chinese person who lives in Australia or you can become an Australian person who was borne in China." If you chose the first option, you will place some limits on what you can be or do. If you embrace the second choice, then you can be all you want to be and more.

Naturally, The Little Emperor chose the former option...and there we parted company !!!!

CypherDragon:

--- Quote from: Willy The Londoner on August 12, 2014, 08:42:07 am ---The trouble is that so many marriages do not go the distance.  Then what happens to the kids?  They get to see one parent regularly who may well find the job quite tiring.  The other parent, if the children are lucky, get to see the kids ones a week.

--- End quote ---

I can't remember what I was watching, but it had some interesting facts on marriage. Now this is all US-centric, of course, but from what I was watching 1 in 3 new (first) marriages fail within 5 years. 1 in 2 (half!) of all marriages fail in the same time frame. As a divorcee with kids, your point is absolutely true - as much as I love my son, there are times that I wish I would have put my ex-wife off when she was insisting on having another child.

One point that you forgot to mention, once the divorce is over the custodial parent (the one the kid(s) are with most of the time) can use them as a weapon against the other parent. I'm not saying that all people will do this, but mine certainly has. In my state, the standard visitation is every other weekend (1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday to be technical) and changing that to accommodate non-standard work schedules is almost impossible. I work nights, and my days off are Friday and Saturday. During the school year, I am also supposed to have him on Thursday nights...which since I work at night presents a bit of a problem. I will say that I see him more now than I did before the divorce, but it's still very difficult to spend much time with him since I'm always either working, or trying to catch up on housework that I can't do during the week. I also have to find ways to afford an overnight nanny/sitter to stay with him while I'm working. All this because my ex-wife decided that I wasn't worth talking with, and she could use my son to get at me emotionally...seems she doesn't like the fact that I haven't come crawling back to her. [/rant over]


--- Quote from: maxx on August 10, 2014, 11:50:17 am ---I think the school system in the states has gotten better. Because before they were just looking for a paycheck. Now the parents and students demand better. And they have gotten better teachers. Who give a shit and are not there just to collect a paycheck.

--- End quote ---

At least here in my state, that's because teacher pay is really, really low. Seriously, what we pay our teachers is almost criminally low IMO, especially given the tax rates here. The only people you have doing it now are people that do it because of their passion for teaching, not for the tiny paycheck.


--- Quote from: Philip on August 12, 2014, 07:46:26 am ---*Snipped for length*

--- End quote ---

Here in the US, there is still a need and paths for skilled tradesmen/women for various jobs. The problem is that the university system has pushed the idea that a degree is everything so hard, especially with HR staff, that now everyone thinks they need a degree when they actually don't (probably). Most of my peers around my age think that a degree is their path to untold riches and wealth, and an easy job where they can just collect a paycheck. I personally did not attend university, and have earned my education the old-fashioned way: I found what I like to do, and taught myself what I needed to know. I'm now a Senior Systems Administrator, making a pretty good wage, with only about $10k in education debt that I'm paying off as I can, and didn't really need in the first place. I got suckered into a training program that I could have done myself, but at least I was able to leverage it in to some industry certifications. Most of my peers are just finishing their degrees, or finished them only a few years ago, and are making half or less of what I do now.

The lack of a degree does hold me back a little bit, because HR staff don't know what IT entails, so they just go looking to check boxes before forwarding my resume/CV on to the hiring manager. Since I don't have a degree, I can't check that box, and don't get forwarded very much...but every once in awhile I get lucky and have a hiring manager that doesn't care. I'm far from alone in my field like this, but most people aren't willing to put in the hard work and self-education needed to be able to do what I've done. Which I don't really mind, since it means demand for my skillset is almost always there, and I've never been out of work for more than a couple of weeks.

So, the long and short of it, in the US at least, is that these career paths are still there. You just have to look for it, be willing to put in the work required, and be persistent in chasing your dream. That is the major stumbling block, most people don't have the fortitude anymore to do what needs to be done, they just want it handed to them. One of my favorite minor celebrities, Mike Rowe, has actually started a foundation to help folks that want to learn a skilled trade, because there is such a shortage of skilled tradesmen here. Not to try and shill for him, but check it out: http://profoundlydisconnected.com/foundation/

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