To discover new horizons in the labor market, you can obtain a new profession abroad
FOR CHILDREN…
Rising unemployment prompts us to think about the mobility and competitiveness of both ourselves and our children. The more opportunities schoolchildren have to learn about different professions in childhood, the better.
It would seem that various technical schools and vocational lyceums, which allow combining school education with learning a trade, are very suitable for this purpose. However, according to data from the Public Opinion Foundation, about 50% of Muscovites do not even entertain the thought that their child will study at a vocational school. It is not prestigious, the school curriculum is taught poorly (and therefore you cannot get into university later), and the student body is “problematic” (they might “spoil” a good home child)… Such beliefs among parents are not uncommon.
If only at a school near home it were possible to kill two birds with one stone – get a certificate of complete secondary education and a sought-after working profession – parents would be satisfied. And even better, three birds: a certificate, fluency in a foreign language, and a first profession. Such a set would provide a high school graduate with maximum mobility.
In theory, this dream can be turned into reality. Today, instead of labor lessons and building crooked stools, our children, like schoolchildren in developed countries, study the subject “Technology,” and now much depends on the material base on which training is conducted. There are schools where high school students use an electron microscope to study the characteristics of nanomaterials, can test microchips, write programs for automatic systems, analyze water for dioxins, etc. But these opportunities are mainly provided by private schools; most regular schools, due to lack of funds, are limited to computer science lessons.
If studying a foreign language and simultaneously obtaining a profession at school is still closer to science fiction, then during student years it is quite real. And students with language skills have more chances of getting a job. For example, in May of this year, a job fair was held at the K.A. Timiryazev Agricultural Academy: representatives of the agricultural sector looked at future specialists and were interested in their level of English proficiency. Why? Because foreign technologies are currently used in fields and farms. Agricultural producers would like to send their field and livestock workers to study and intern abroad without being embarrassed by their poor English, and certainly not to have to teach them at the expense of the enterprise – let them learn the language now at Timiryazev for free.
…AND FOR ADULTS
In times of crisis, the personnel issue has become a cornerstone for many companies. Of course, demand for narrow specialists, masters of their craft, does not wane. At the same time, nearly 70% of companies during the crisis prefer to hire generalists who can replace several employees at once.
According to data from the SuperJob.ru portal, the majority of both working and unemployed Russians are ready to learn related specialties. But for employers, the length of service and experience of employees are important, while those who have decided to retrain and start a new life have neither. In this case, other qualities, tested in previous work and necessary in the new one, can play a decisive role.
A striking example is the American Bartending School in Manhattan. While thousands of financial sector employees continue to lose their jobs, the number of students at the American Bartending School has grown by one and a half times compared to last year: former traders and brokers have flocked to the bartending school. The school director, Joe Bruno, gladly welcomes the new influx: after all, these applicants already have almost all the necessary skills – the ability to carry themselves, be in the public eye, find an approach to any client... Bar owners will snatch up such personnel in an instant; they just need to be taught how to mix cocktails.
MULTI-MACHINE OPERATORS
As an additional social and professional insurance against a crisis, it is not at all necessary to pursue a second higher education – secondary or even primary vocational education, which can be obtained in courses lasting several months, will suffice.
Such courses exist at most both Russian and foreign universities. For example, computer courses at Bauman Moscow State Technical University, landscape design and ornamental floriculture courses at the Faculty of Soil Science of Lomonosov Moscow State University, etc. Learning a foreign language can also be combined with obtaining a new specialty.
“I was lucky to study for almost a year in Washington at the International Language Institute (ILI),” says journalist Tatyana Rupnik. “There I met a student from Brazil who would disappear immediately after classes and never participate in our extracurricular activities. It turned out that simultaneously with her classes at ILI, she was studying at real estate courses. I followed her example and enrolled in three-month courses at Long & Foster Institute of Real Estate. Now, in addition to my diploma from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University, I have the right to teach English and a certificate as a real estate agent.”
When there is no work in one's specialty and one has to step away from the usual status and occupation, it is a blessing if the person takes that step willingly. 'Everyone in our family has a higher technical education and at the same time are passionate dog lovers,' says engineer Natalya Bondareva. 'Once I went to England to the Regent school for a course English plus Hobby. The hobby, naturally, I chose Pets. Over four weeks we were told and even shown in practical classes how to care for a dog from ears to tail, feed, treat, walk, dress, groom, prepare documents for international exhibitions, etc. When at my home research institute talks began about layoffs and part-time work, I did not wait, I called in response to an ad "veterinary assistant needed," and I was hired. My main trump card turned out to be those very English courses: I consulted dog breeders wishing to participate in international exhibitions, helped foreigners traveling with their pets. Gradually I built up a circle of regular clients, and now I am thinking whether it's time to open my own dog beauty salon.'
THIRD 'HARE'
According to European recruitment agencies, specialists who speak foreign languages earn on average 20-30% more than monolinguals. Languages are a significant competitive advantage not only in our country but also around the world. A crisis is a crisis, but international transportation, joint ventures, trade, exhibitions and forums have not been canceled yet, and specialists 'with languages' are in demand as before.
'In mid-life, pilots, ballet dancers, professional athletes have to change occupations,' says Alexander Gerasimenko, council member of the Russian Association 'International Education' (RAMO). 'They know this in advance and prepare, trying to get education for a second career alongside their first. But the crisis presents unpleasant surprises even to those who never thought about another job. In such a case, knowledge of foreign languages will be an excellent help. Everyone can see this by looking at vacancies in various fields – demand for those who know languages is always higher. With good English, starting from IELTS level 5.5, one can obtain a second specialty in a foreign educational institution and a convertible, i.e., worldwide recognized, certificate or diploma, spending several months on study, and in two years – get a second higher education in English. Moreover, short professional programs in English are available not only in the UK and the USA, they are offered by colleges in Canada, Ireland, Australia, Singapore, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Switzerland, etc.'
To improve qualifications or get a new specialty abroad means to become more mobile and open new horizons on the labor market. Moreover, it is worth remembering that all foreign language courses with a practical focus cooperate with specialized partner enterprises, where they place their students for internships. And this is a chance not only to master technologies used in other countries, but also to make a good impression on an employer, get recommendations, and sometimes even a job offer.