Are Graduates better off working overseas?

It’s been in the news that the government are recommending graduates to consider working abroad, so that they can avoid being affected by the recession. Do you think it’s appropriate for the government to urge UK graduates to seek employment overseas?

In the teaching sector however, working in both the UK and overseas has never been so popular…in the UK approximately 38,000 trainee teachers enrol on teacher training courses every year. This year allocations are up by another 4%, no surprise as teaching is seen as a stable profession during the current economic downturn - in fact according to the TDA the number of enquiries has risen by 34%!

If new graduates in the education sector are looking to teach outside of the UK then this should be seen as a positive factor for their careers, rather than an alternative route to secure a job at all. Graduates can teach overseas by following a variety of routes, the most popular are…

* Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
* Teaching in an International school after completing a BA QTS/PGCE equivalent
* Working as a classroom assistant or educational project volunteer

The numbers of teachers opting to teach the National Curriculum, reflecting that of which is delivered in England and Wales, has risen by 26% in 3 years new figures reveal. As a result of this, there are now approximately 74,000 qualified teachers from the UK in International schools.

Thinking about teaching overseas? Interested in gaining TEFL qualifications? Have you taught overseas? Would you recommend the experience? Share your thoughts with the Eteach community…