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29/01/2008, 19:28 Mackyfrance Joined on 24/05/2007 Posts 33 Did you educate your children in France? What jobs are they doing now? Someone else posted this question on another forum and got depressingly few replies. I'm very concerned that if my children finish their education here they won't find work. People always talk about being bilingual but to be honest, being bilingual in French and English is not exactly rare. I think they'd be better off speaking fluent Spanish or Mandarin. Also, I've never yet come across an English person working in a bilingual position here. So..... prove me wrong!  What jobs are your children doing?    Report

29/01/2008, 19:59 Gemonimo Joined on 25/09/2007 lost in the vines in the 33 Posts 193 Re: Did you educate your children in France? What jobs are they doing now? As of this spring my daughter will be an 'educatrice specialisée' - post masters degree in modern applied languages. To the uninitiated an educatrice (or educateur) is a specialist social worker. She lives in the Doubs (Besançon).    Report

29/01/2008, 20:40 Catalpa Joined on 23/08/2004 Southern Manche - 50 Posts 1,527 Re: Did you educate your children in France? What jobs are they doing now? I've not got children so perhaps shouldn't be chipping in here - except... I too have wondered about the eventual success of British kids in France in the job market. Yes, it's good for them to grow up bi-lingual (though I think bi-cultural is probably the more valuable / beneficial outcome) but I also have wondered how many France-educated kids end up with English as their second language, most particularly from a written English point of view. And does that inhibit their job chances if they choose to (or have to) look to the UK for employment?    Report

29/01/2008, 22:02 Just Katie Joined on 11/03/2006 Posts 3,705 Re: Did you educate your children in France? What jobs are they doing now? I currently have an 18 year old French girl staying with me who says it is very difficult to get jobs in France.  Even to wait tables, employers ask for a 3 year diploma, so she says.  Anyway, I got on the phone today and she is delighted because I have sorted out a flat for her and, spoken to a pub/restaurant manager who tells me he is very interested in seeing her and has arranged an interview. She really cannot believe how easy it is in UK compared to France. The immigrant in the attic    Report

29/01/2008, 22:20 raindog Joined on 26/09/2007 HERAULT Posts 789 Re: Did you educate your children in France? What jobs are they doing now? Both our sons grew up here and eventually went to university. I've already mentioned on another thread that they both have good qualifications in their fields and that one, after searching for a job for months in France, is now working in Switzerland, and the other is working in a video store, temporarily, before leaving for Vienna with his Austrian partner. sociability is just a big smile and a big smile is nothing but teeth    Report

29/01/2008, 22:35 Deby Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 641 Re: Did you educate your children in France? What jobs are they doing now? When we lived in France,  all the english families which I knew of in Grenoble (some circa +) who had raised their children through the french education system sent their children to UK universities or they were working in restaurants, chef, waiter(ress). Few jobs for the youth and even less for foreigners even though their children had been raised in France.  In rural france it is ever harder! Hopefully it may change but when I am not so sure. Deby http://www.chateau-de-clerac.com    Report

29/01/2008, 23:44 Tresco Joined on 23/08/2004 Charente Maritime. Posts 4,635 Re: Did you educate your children in France? What jobs are they doing now? It's a very interesting question Macky and I'm glad you've replicated it here. If people could say the ages their children were when they started school in French, I think that'd be helpful. We toyed with the idea of moving here when my son was aged 11/12 but for me, at that time, it already felt 'too late' for him. So, I have no personal experiences to add to the thread, but I'm really hoping for a better response than the question got on TF.    Report

30/01/2008, 0:31 TWINKLE Joined on 11/03/2006 Tarn 81 Posts 3,834 Re: Did you educate your children in France? What jobs are they doing now? We are always hearing success stories about British kids getting on in France!  Well done to them - it isn't easy these days!    Report

30/01/2008, 8:55 Mackyfrance Joined on 24/05/2007 Posts 33 Re: Did you educate your children in France? What jobs are they doing now? Where are you hearing these stories Twinkle?  Of the people I know who've educated their children here not one of the children has found work in France and all have voluntarily opted to return to the UK. This included children who've been here since the ages of 6 or 7. The other thread I mentioned has had two responses from parents who's children have been through the education system here. Same story. One even had to resort to using a French agency that specialises in finding jobs in the UK for French nationals. There has only been one person who's daughter has found a job here as a social worker. Now, either parents aren't answering the question for some reason or we're all kidding ourselves that moving our children to France is actually giving them any sort of future benefit. If they all end up having to move back to the UK to find work then I'm not sure what the point is. Do the perceived advantages really make it worth it?    Report

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