INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
By Roger Bartholomew

Roger Bartholomew spends his life talking with students - both as a teacher and as a counselor. His position as president of International Education Specialists, Chairman of Southville Foreign University and Director/Teacher at Southville International School all involve listening to students and parents and advising them on their studies and careers. He is a frequent speaker in schools, colleges, universities, public forums and focus groups. He can be reached at rogerb@inter-ed.com.

CATCH 22 – IS THERE A SOLUTION TO UNEMPLOYMENT FOR RECENT GRADUATES?

Let me share an issue with you that I frequently hear. A bright, smart young student comes to me and wants to either work or migrate overseas. They have just finished a degree from a good college, but can’t find employment locally – or at least, nothing that matches the quality of their degree and school. Hence the plan to work overseas……. But, most countries won’t give jobs, let alone work permits, to someone with no work experience. …….

It reminds me of Catch 22, the famous book written by Joseph Heller, which has this great analysis of a “no win” situation.

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.
"That's some catch, that Catch-22," Yossarian observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.

Resulting from its specific use in the book, the phrase "Catch-22" is common idiomatic usage meaning "a no-win situation" or "a double bind" of any type. And that is exactly what many new graduates are facing today. In addition to that, the George Bush legacy (remember that the USA had no national debt when Bill Clinton left office) has exacerbated the situation making it even more difficult to find jobs. Is there a solution to Catch 22…..?

Fortunately the answer is YES! And the answer is OVERSEAS INTERNSHIPS. A number of organizations are dedicated to making available paid (and unpaid) skills training in the workplace to recently graduated students, or for students for whom the training is a mandatory part of their course. Some of these internships can only be accessed through the institution where the student is studying. For example, in the Philippines, Southville Foreign University, has internships available for its students in Australia, Singapore, the UK and the USA by direct agreements with internship organizations. Luckily though, a number of these organizations don’t require students to be enrolled at a particular college, but throw the opportunity open to all recent graduates.

That’s the good news! The not so good news is that typically it is only the internships in the Hotel and Restaurant Management that are paid. Most of the others tend to be unpaid, and therefore incur cost on the part of the student. My experience has been mostly with internships in Australia where students from the Philippines got fantastic industry placements with hotel resorts in places like Hayman Island, down the Gold Coast, in Sydney and Melbourne and as far across as Perth. Wages were pretty good at around AUD$1,600.00/month (not bad earning P50,000.00/month for your first job fresh out of college) and conditions were excellent. Contracts were usually for one year, though students could opt for shorter periods. With that work experience in Australia, added to the degree from a Philippine college, many students were eligible to apply for Permanent or Regional Residency in Australia upon completion of their internships, as they now fulfilled the critical work experience criteria.

If I was given the choice of talking to people on the phone in the middle of the night who are complaining about their problems, or working for a (previously) big financial institution that is being sold or going bust, or working in a 5 star Resort Hotel somewhere off Queensland’s Gold Coast at three times the salary, I know where I would go. And add to that the opportunity afterwards – it’s a “no brainer”. That is much better than being caught by Catch 22.

Interested? In the words of Barak Obama, “Yes we can”. Contact me on ccpc@inter-ed.com and I will get all the details to you. And if you decide to stay where you are and do nothing, at least read Catch 22 while you are there.

Oh! A final note for Agricultural Engineers and Tree Surgeons from UP Los Banos and other universities – Australia badly wants you. Contact me to find out about Permanent Residency in nine months if you are under 40 years old.