Eric, a surveyor who has a master’s degree and a large -scale government contract management experience, did as much as possible in May 2023 to improve his outlook for work before moving from Hong Kong to the UK. .
He secured British specialized certification, settled in Manchester for the boom of the building, and immediately began sending a resume as he had a permanent address. However, after scrutinizing the recruitment committee six months later, Eric changed his name to protect his identity, and was able to find a two -month stint Sorty Christmas email.
He finally participated in the CV Writing Workshop, and still gained administrative jobs in a public sector far below his former seniority.
“I feel lucky to be an optimistic person,” he said. “I continued to refuse and supported me for six months.”
Eric’s experience reflects many Hong Kong people’s experience, of which he has the status of the United Kingdom, a national overseas status, of which 2021, more than 150,000 people have come to the UK on a visa route, and the Chinese government’s politics. Opened in response to tightening to the rebuttal.
In the face of this, Hong Kong people have less barriers of integration than other immigrants. However, many are stuck in low-paid casual jobs as language barriers, cultural differences and refusal to recognize their qualifications have been blocked from previous professions.
A study by the think tank British Future, published in October, highlighted the challenges Hong Kongers face in particular finding work tailored to their skills. We interviewed a former editor who worked in the kitchen, a warehouse expert and a waitress.
“There are so many Hong Kongers in factories and hotels,” Alex Mc, a British Hong Kong employment coordinator, Alex Mc, formed to help newcomers calm down.・ Mc said. “People with very high social and economic status in Hong Kong have not even found that most management, but at least they are working. Intermediate managers have to resume their careers.”
According to an analysis by the Oxford University Immigration Observatory, immigrants from East Europe and some South Asia are more likely to work than British -born workers and are very likely to have a low wage. It shows that.
Recent refugees from Ukraine are also struggling. In an office for the National Statistics Survey last April, only one -third was in the same sector as before, while 70 % were working.
The data issued by the European Commission has a similar pattern, and it is possible that workers born outside the EU are excessively qualified for the work of people working in nationality. Double.
Hong Kong people have a particularly disadvantageous position in British (overseas) visas, claiming that there is a provision that does not rely on public funds in the first three years in the UK. This means that most mainstream help cannot be accessed. The specific support introduced to Hong Kong people is spots, lack of funds, and is often over -registered.
However, Heather Rolf, a research director of British Future, is more qualified, skilled in skilled English, who is more qualified, skilled in skilled English, and experienced Hong Kong. He said he was surprised. Free movement.
“I have the idea that the first generation will hit and make many investments in the children,” she said. “In the past, it was realistic and discriminated against. We must not have it now. It is very wasteful for those individuals and useless for the UK.”
Her comment shows a wider British problem in four years since Brexit finished free movement from the EU.
Despite the hope of attracting more qualified and skilled immigrants, only a minority arrived on a skilled worker visa designed for this purpose. I was attracted to the long -term visa introduced to deal with the shortage of sector staff, and the role of care entry level worked much more.
Madeleine Sumption, the director of Madeleine Migration Observatory, is an anecrical evidence that many care workers, such as nurse, graduates in fields such as engineering, or students who switched to a care visa after acquiring a master’s degree He suggested that he was acquired.
In some respects, this is a “completely good policy,” said Sumption that it supported the employer of a sector who has a chronic staffing problem and given immigrants to the UK. But it was also a waste of human capital. “If everyone uses his skills, he will have higher tax revenues and economic activities, and immigrants themselves will be better.”
The public policy think tank IPPR’s associate director Marley Morris, including Ukrainians, Hong Kong, and for care workers staying in the UK, “It is clear that it helps to work that suits the skill level. ” .
Language is one of the biggest disabilities. Even in Hong Kong, who was used to writing in English, it was difficult to manage the nuances of colloquial conversation and office communication.
“I couldn’t speak a complete sentence -only one word. I’m not confident,” EN said. She had been involved in logistics and customer relationships for 20 years before she moved to the UK in 2022, but had a hard time finding a job in the warehouse without a driver’s license necessary to reach the site.
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After participating in the language class provided by her local government, she secured the same role as the previous authority, but still raised a problem with the supervisor, participated in an unfamiliar small story. I feel it is difficult to adapt to the style.
“I had to change the way I wrote the email. I didn’t have to write a complete sentence and care about the grammar. Now, like an indigenous UK, write something as short and short as possible. I’m learning, “she said.
When Hongkongers discovered, the motivation to recognize the employer’s non -UK qualifications fluctuated. It was still difficult for the employer to persuade the value of experience gained outside the UK.
MAK has given examples such as junior doctors qualifications, accounting for accounting, and social workers that require additional tests, which are not always accepted.
“Some people have been rejected at the interview stage because they have no local knowledge. You may think that’s the reason for covering discrimination, but we just guess, “he added.
Some Hong Kong people have said that their outlook was transformed by workshops on how to adjust their resumes in the UK and approach interviews.
“Hong Kong -style CV focuses on the value of the contract. They believe that bigger value contracts give more confidence. In the UK, what kind of action they do. Even if you want to know the result of the action, even if your name is a minor. “
EN also secured an interview and work after adopting this skill -based approach, but she still feels that the cultural differences are still unstable. “I am working overtime in Hong Kong. Or, or our boss will say we are a negligible buttocks!” “Here, my boss should say that you should leave when your time is over. I’m still uncomfortable, I just want to finish my work.”
This suggests that relatively simple time -limited support may make a difference if it can be used more widely.
EN is determined and persistent. “In the British environment, labor culture is different and it can be difficult,” she said. “It’s not easy to find a job. But given time and patience, you can finally find a job.”
Data visualization by Ela Hollowood
