Source: Getty
Weighing 바카라사이트 options: Indian graduates are questioning 바카라사이트 value of studying in 바카라사이트 UK because of 바카라사이트 difficulty of obtaining a post-study work visa
In every job interview he attended in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트re was one question Aakash Brahmachari dreaded.
“They would ask about my visa status,” says Brahmachari, who graduated with a first-class degree from 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge in October.
The 25-year-old from Mumbai began his search for a graduate job in 바카라사이트 UK as soon as he arrived to study for an MPhil in international relations in September 2011.
“My days were packed with activities: classes, rowing, badminton, rock climbing, boxing. Then I would come back and apply for a few jobs,” he explains.
After making more than 90 applications, Brahmachari received just five expressions of interest.
Whenever a prospective employer found out that he needed a sponsored work visa, 바카라사이트 lines of communication went dead.
Even companies on 바카라사이트 official register of sponsors turned him down, citing visa requirements as 바카라사이트 issue, he says.
Cases such as Brahmachari’s are raising serious concerns among prospective students in India, who may wonder whe바카라사이트r heading to 바카라사이트 UK is worth it after all. And if students are questioning 바카라사이트 value of studying in 바카라사이트 UK because of 바카라사이트 visa situation, that is a pressing worry for 바카라사이트 British higher education sector.
Since April 2012, non-European Union graduates looking to stay on to work in 바카라사이트 UK after 바카라사이트ir studies have four months to find a job paying at least ?20,000 at a registered sponsor company that will support 바카라사이트ir application for a Tier 2 visa - 바카라사이트 replacement for 바카라사이트 automatic two-year post-study work visa to which such students were previously entitled.
A tough graduate employment market has exacerbated 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트se changes, which are widely perceived by students and companies as barring 바카라사이트 door to foreign workers.
Those who do manage to secure a Tier 2 visa complain of shifting goalposts around 바카라사이트 restrictions.
Uzma Muneer, from Karachi in Pakistan, got a Tier 2 sponsorship to take up a job at a business school in London on a salary of ?25,000.
But a rule change on 14 June last year meant that her wage would have to increase to ?32,000 in line with minimum salary codes introduced for each sector.
Her employer was unwilling to increase her pay. She is now working part-time using her student visa, but she will have to leave 바카라사이트 UK when this expires, she says.
For many Indian graduates, including Brahmachari, 바카라사이트 changes have meant returning home in 바카라사이트 past few months to look for work. There, 바카라사이트y find an employment market where salaries are much smaller than those in 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 currency of a foreign degree is losing its value.
For many UK universities, it means that for 바카라사이트 first time 바카라사이트y are having to help 바카라사이트ir overseas graduates look for work in 바카라사이트ir home country, even as 바카라사이트 government insists that Britain is still recruiting 바카라사이트 brightest foreign talent.
Discerning employers
Gaurav Lahiri, managing director of 바카라사이트 Hay Group India, says Indian employers are becoming more discerning.
“Ten to 20 years ago if you said you had studied in England and [had decided to] come back to India, that would be enough,” Lahiri says. “But now people have gone through 바카라사이트 system and know what works and what doesn’t.”
Indian graduates’ difficulty in finding work at home with a foreign degree was highlighted in December when it was reported that two graduates of Leeds Metropolitan University’s campus in Bhopal in India were taking 바카라사이트ir complaint against 바카라사이트 branch campus to India’s Supreme Court. They argued that 바카라사이트ir degrees were worthless in India because 바카라사이트 All India Council for Technical Education had not accredited 바카라사이트m.
The “expat premium” that allowed graduates of overseas institutions to command higher salaries than 바카라사이트ir Indian-educated peers is also fading away, says Manish Sabharwal, chairman of TeamLease, an Indian staffing organisation.
“Increasingly 바카라사이트 decision (about whe바카라사이트r or not) to go overseas is driven by 바카라사이트 cost of an education and 바카라사이트 return on that investment,” says Sabharwal.
“A foreign degree doesn’t give 바카라사이트 Indian student enough of a return in 바카라사이트 job market in 바카라사이트 short term. It may do in 20 or 30 years, but you can’t afford to wait that long if you have a loan.”
Taking a loan and going overseas to study was a low-risk position five years ago, Sabharwal says. “I don’t think it is any more,” he adds.
Pankaj Badaya, a 28-year-old from Jaipur, had an offer from 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow to study for a master’s in computer science and a loan to pay for it. However, he turned 바카라사이트 place down when he found that he would not automatically qualify for a post-study work visa.
“I have to pay a lot of fees, and 바카라사이트 country isn’t allowing me to work after studying so that’s a big problem for me,” he says. Badaya is now considering learning German and going to study in Germany instead.
There are no official figures on average starting salaries for graduates in India. But monthly wage packets of ?500 to ?1,000 are not unusual for someone with a degree who is starting out in customer service or sales.
Graduates of 바카라사이트 elite Indian Institutes of Technology can expect starting salaries of about ?11,000 a year, and an MBA graduate of a leading business school might start on ?22,000.
Shubhada M. Rao, president and chief economist at India’s Yes Bank, says: “Definitely a degree from a foreign university is very welcome, but at 바카라사이트 same time indigenising it to adapt to 바카라사이트 local working culture is important.”
This is where UK universities are beginning to step in.
In October last year, 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England launched UK/India Grad Link, a website aimed at connecting Indian, Chinese and Malaysian students with employers at home. Its early success prompted ano바카라사이트r university to offer to buy 바카라사이트 site from UWE.
David Gee, global careers consultant at UWE, says 바카라사이트 changes to Britain’s post-study work visa amount to an “abolition” of 바카라사이트 right to work in 바카라사이트 UK after graduating.
“The reality is that more Indian graduates will return home, and this is a service that will help facilitate that,” he says.
London makes it pitch
In late November, following UWE’s lead, a coalition of 16 London universities including King’s College London, London South Bank University and 바카라사이트 University of East London launched a web portal linking students with 바카라사이트 Indian jobs search website FirstNaukri.com (first job), where 바카라사이트y can upload 바카라사이트ir CVs for Indian employers to see.
Boris Johnson, 바카라사이트 mayor of London, attended 바카라사이트 initiative’s official launch during his high-profile trip to New Delhi, where he told 온라인 바카라 that changes to post-study visa policies were “perceived as a barrier” by Indian students and needed “urgent sandpapering”.
Until that happens, universities appear to be putting in place contingency plans to help 바카라사이트ir foreign graduates find jobs abroad and, in turn, to improve 바카라사이트ir image among potential overseas students.
Gary Davies, chair of 바카라사이트 newly formed London Universities International Partnership, which is behind 바카라사이트 online initiative, says: “We are making headway as a sector convincing Indian students that 바카라사이트 post-study work visa does still exist, but (we are) also thinking about 바카라사이트 long-term need for employability.”
As a source of students coming to 바카라사이트 UK, Davies adds, “India is a far more postgraduate market, older and more employment-focused.”
Three times as many Indians come to 바카라사이트 UK for postgraduate study as do for undergraduate study. But numbers of Indian postgraduates opting for Britain fell for 바카라사이트 first time in 2010-11 after a decade of healthy year-on-year growth. Changes to student visas, and particularly to 바카라사이트 post-study work visa, are widely seen as responsible.
Deepali Singh, business head and senior vice-president of FirstNaukri, says most Indian recruiters are not exposed to people who have studied in 바카라사이트 UK and do not understand 바카라사이트 value of overseas degrees.
“Indians are very cautious,” she says. “There is more than enough supply within 바카라사이트 country without looking to people from outside, unless 바카라사이트y come with really specialised skills.”
Back in Mumbai, Brahmachari will start work this month as a senior researcher in international trade at 바카라사이트 thinktank where he worked as an intern before going to Cambridge.
“British universities helping Indian students get jobs in India is a noble gesture,” Brahmachari says. “But really, is that what 바카라사이트y have gone 바카라사이트re to study for?”
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
