Strategy for getting a decent start for children of Desi's in Canada
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I'm finding many a Desi's who have immigrated to Canada in their middle age(s) and sometimes the desis are lost about how to get a decent job and while they struggle to settle down, they donot have enough time to plan the career of their kids who have come to Canada at ages like 16 and who have a short time to adapt to the job/financial situation here.
You can talk to any kid in high school who are going towards their 11/12 th grade and most of them will say they want to be a Doctor or an Engineer. The reason is that they have no clear picture about the job market and they do not have good counsellors at school who have a broad overview of both the Global and Local Job markets.
Most of the Desi's do not send their kids for part time jobs as they fear that this will hinder their focus on education. The children are focussed into one track mind that they get high grades and they will get into life sciences and they will end up as a Doctor making BIG BUCKS. They do not seem to calculate the time period nor odds of making into the MD program. They have no clue of how many are applying or how many are admitted.
I can openly make this statement that I've found very few Desi kids who have ended up in the MD program and most of the others have dropped out after the BS program and are working in some clerical jobs unrelated to their education. Many do not go for higher degrees and still searching for that lucrative career as they have not done any planning about their future versus job market.
I want to present two cases of young kids whom I met whom I think have done well for themselves:
1.A girl who started working in an office on a parttime job(24 hours per week) at $14 per hour, was also doing parttime course in Sheridan College. She then later applied for a job in Brampton City and has ended up with a full time job at $22 per hour and she is on probation for 9 months. She will join the Brampton City Union after this time. She starts of at 40K at around 21 years and she will get her pay hikes without any hard work as the union protects her. She will also travel for free in all the transit as she is a city employee. I can guarantee that she will be making around 65 to 70K by 25 years of age with 100% job security.
Which private sector job will offer this kind of job security?.
2.This Sikh kid finished his highschool is doing his Mechanical Engineering in a College and has finished his 3 year. He has a full time job as a CAD/CAM assistant in a engineering company making aroud $16 per hour. He also has morning job which pays him $17 per hour(15 hours per week) which entitles him for full medical coverage including dental and vision & TUITION REIMBURSEMENT. He works in a Rogers store on week end based on his energy level.
Last week I learnt that he has obtained admission in Mcmaster for his B.S Mechanical Engineering program and he will do his third year and he needs 2 more years of studies to get his B.S degree. He has enough practical work experience by his 21 years age. He is earning his monies, he has full medical coverage and also can pay for his college.
The biggest thing I found in this kid was he has become street smart and can navigate the Canadian work system very well.He will not take an OSAP loan and will pay for his studies with his employers tuition support. He might take 3 years in place of 2 years but who cares about the time as long he can get the Degree.
He plans to drive to hamilton thrice a week to do his studies, while maintaining his job/benefits but by cutting his job hours which the employer also welcomes him doing so in times like this.
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Based on the two case studies I've presented to you, I would like to reiterate the fact that please do not think with our Indian/USA education system or our type of background but how kids are able to navigate this system.
I also would like you guys to have a rethink on your RESP's you have been saving for your kids as if the kid(s) want and they have the drive they will find a way.
My 2 Nayapaisa's.
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Sunny Leone a true Canadian DESI now back in India !.
Location: British Columbia
Posted on: 23-06-09 00:04:50
Quote:
Originally posted by Vandematram
You can talk to any kid in high school who are going towards their 11/12 th grade and most of them will say they want to be a Doctor or an Engineer. The reason is that they have no clear picture about the job market and they do not have good counsellors at school who have a broad overview of both the Global and Local Job markets.
Really? is this common to Ontario only? My understanding of school guidance counsellors are that they are required ot have a masters degree in education with a specialization in guidance and counselling, along with an education degree. I dont know if they are required to know about the global job market because the assum;ption is that people will live in the country and it will be the minority of students who go elsewhere.
There are many avenues to make good money, besides becoming a doctor. Business, Trades (Plumbers, welders, electricians etc), Law, Management, etc.
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~ Morning rain
Quote:
Originally posted by Vandematram
I want to present two cases of young kids whom I met whom I think have done well for themselves:
1.A girl who started working in an office on a parttime job(24 hours per week) at $14 per hour, was also doing parttime course in Sheridan College. She then later applied for a job in Brampton City and has ended up with a full time job at $22 per hour and she is on probation for 9 months. She will join the Brampton City Union after this time. She starts of at 40K at around 21 years and she will get her pay hikes without any hard work as the union protects her. She will also travel for free in all the transit as she is a city employee. I can guarantee that she will be making around 65 to 70K by 25 years of age with 100% job security.
Which private sector job will offer this kind of job security?.
You could be in some clerical position today at $22 per hour and retire around the same level 30-40 years later with what is more or less equivalent to what is 40K today.
To go from 40 K to 60K or beyond in today's terms, you require new skill sets with good deal of time and effort put to acquire those.
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Give free food http://www.thehungersite.com ||
Quote:
Originally posted by Vandematram
You can talk to any kid in high school who are going towards their 11/12 th grade and most of them will say they want to be a Doctor or an Engineer. The reason is that they have no clear picture about the job market and they do not have good counsellors at school who have a broad overview of both the Global and Local Job markets.
Your main education should be based on your interest and decision should not be made based on how the job market is today. If u decide what u will study for next 10 years based on current job market u will go nowhere.
From my experince in Canada, I find your intepretation totally flawed and I do not know what might have caused it.
Quote:
Originally posted by Vandematram
You can talk to any kid in high school who are going towards their 11/12 th grade and most of them will say they want to be a Doctor or an Engineer. The reason is that they have no clear picture about the job market and they do not have good counsellors at school who have a broad overview of both the Global and Local Job markets.
I am thoroughly surprised - I find it the other way round. I have always found that parents, including me, have desired our children to be doctors (not engineers any more though), but most of the children do not want that, since in Canada, they find the whole medical system screwed up. And frankly, I feel that these high school and university kids perhaps have a better idea about the job market than we parents, who keep struggling to get good jobs, have!
Quote:
Originally posted by Vandematram
Most of the Desi's do not send their kids for part time jobs as they fear that this will hinder their focus on education. The children are focussed into one track mind that they get high grades and they will get into life sciences and they will end up as a Doctor making BIG BUCKS. They do not seem to calculate the time period nor odds of making into the MD program. They have no clue of how many are applying or how many are admitted.
And that is an outrageouly wrong statement. I know atleast 100 Indian families with highschool/university children and rarely have I found any child not working part time and in summers. And if they really were after big bucks, they would have been going for dentistry rather than medicine. Infact most children work not solely for money - but more as a pass time and enjoyment while they are working.
Quote:
Originally posted by Vandematram
I can openly make this statement that I've found very few Desi kids who have ended up in the MD program and most of the others have dropped out after the BS program and are working in some clerical jobs unrelated to their education. Many do not go for higher degrees and still searching for that lucrative career as they have not done any planning about their future versus job market.
This seems to be a case where you are meeting the families where the parents themselves are not educated and are not able to guide their children well and due to the family structure, even the children are not able to take good, intelligent and praiseworthy decisions about their careers. In my case, 90% of the high school and university children that I have seen are very serious about their carreers and are planning the same with their personal interest in the subject and future trends that they see (which ofcourse is a personal judgement and can be good or bad).
I think you are moving in terrribly wrong circles!
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Chandresh
Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!
