Lucy, 23, from Birmingham, wants to explore her potential return to the EU after completing her modern language degree. But like many other young British people, she discovered that post-Brexit treaties between the EU and the UK constrained her options. Since January 2021, visa-free stays for UK citizens in the Bullock have been limited to 90 days.
“Many EU companies are willing to go through the long and expensive visa process when they can find candidates in different EU countries,” says Lucy, who currently uses language skills in customer service.
But others in the same predicament as Lucy were given flicker of hope last month. The UK government has announced that it will work with the EU to develop a new cross-border arrangement that will allow young people aged 18 to 30 to live and work freely in the mainland Europe.
Tens of thousands of young employees can benefit financially and professionally from the proposed “youth experience scheme,” experts say.
This plan comes when the UK’s inactive growth in the UK in many EU economies combined with rising wages creates a particularly attractive move.
Details of the arrangement – some of the broader UK-EU deals aiming for a “reset” relationship between the two economies are still under negotiation. The UK government says eligibility is “upper and time limits.”
However, Lucy says the scheme “opens many doors” for her.
“I was able to do what I could do to live abroad again without worrying about how I might get there or how much this might cost me,” she adds.
The right to work in the EU could be particularly beneficial to 40,000 lawyers in England and Wales under the age of 35, according to President Richard Atkinson of the England Law Association and the Welsh Legal Association.
Before Brexit, Atkinson said it was common for young lawyers to head to EU countries, work and train.
“Many law firms have suspended their secondment programmes to the EU because visa processing can take several months,” Atkinson says.
He adds that short-term work in EU countries will allow early career lawyers to achieve “significant financial and professional benefits.”
Others are simply exposed to other countries’ cultures, emphasizing value for young people on both sides of the channel.
John Kerr, head of global mobility at professional services firm Pinsent Masons, says the scheme benefits “social and professional levels” at the point of life when people can usually “move globally.”
He says the move could boost long-term career outlook. And many international organizations clients expect their advisors to have such an experience.
According to Robert Walters, an international recruiting firm based in London, it’s not as serious as before that for the best paying young professionals to get a job in Europe.
Financial Services says the average UK annual salary is just over 102,000 euros, higher than any other EU country. The average annual salary in the closest competitor, the German sector, is still nearly 16% lower.
However, financial services strengths in major European cities such as Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and Luxembourg have been growing since Brexit, according to Johnny Bohane, senior manager of market intelligence at Robert Walters. He adds that the desire to improve the work-life balance of experts could add to the appeal of relocating to these cities.
“London maintains a financial lead over the rest of the world, but countries like Germany and Ireland are catching up quickly and are already establishing themselves as a high-tech hub for Europe,” says Bohane.
According to Lucy, the UK’s current high cost and tight job market is increasing the appeal of moving to Europe.
“In certain European countries, the cost of living is cheaper and it will have an economic impact on me,” she says.
Dan Hayes, co-founder of the consulting firm Graduate Recruitment Office, says these factors may encourage graduates beyond London and encourage graduates as “natural choices” for high-paying graduate-level jobs.
Hawes emphasizes that it is too early to communicate what the effect of the scheme is. However, he highlights the poor outlook facing many current UK alumni compared to past generations.
“There was no precedent for what this graduate would face, at least in my life,” he says.
Beneficiaries of similar past youth mobility programs can testify to their value.
Jayne Hamilton, a software developer and architect with over 20 years of experience, was founded in 1987, using the EU Erasmus scheme to promote and assist young people with cross-border education and training opportunities. British citizens had access to the programme before Brexit.
Hamilton, who lives in Newcastle, says the opportunity to work in Europe and acquire language skills “lay the foundations” for her career.
“That experience has made European employers take me more seriously as a candidate,” she says.
She added that the opportunity to work in Europe has facilitated her financial path. The UK’s comparable jobs are concentrated in expensive London and southeastern England.
“Living in London on a graduate starter salary is not easy,” says Hamilton. “It was much easier to start a career in Europe where living costs were low.”
Hamilton says that if she hadn’t had any early work experience in Europe, she would not have reached the same level in her career.
“Inland income has led to less income from my work,” she says, referring to the UK tax authorities.
Robert Walters’ UK and Ireland CEO Chris Eldridge says youth experience schemes can “open important opportunities” for entry-level professionals, particularly in the banking, financial services, legal and technical fields. Employers can use it to plug in skills gaps and expand their talent pool, he adds.
However, Eldridge warns that an increase in mobility could lead to oversupply in sectors with a large number of candidates, such as HR, and could strengthen competition for those who want to stay in the UK.
“As new graduates join the workforce each year, competition will intensify and this policy may introduce additional competition from their European peers,” he says.
Nevertheless, Hamilton emphasizes that the benefits of working abroad can expand beyond the role itself or wage packets.
“The opportunities for cultural enrichment are incredible,” Hamilton said, adding that Brits who work and study in Europe will become British ambassadors. “Friendship and networking can benefit all of us.”
Lucy says that studying abroad makes her more confident, independent and resilient. She added that working in Europe would welcome the opportunity to repeat the experience.
“I know that being able to spend time working abroad will not only strengthen my career, but also gives me more transferable skills that will make me a more rounded, stronger candidate in the UK or the EU.”
