We
have recently been asked about some of the challenges which may face a family
who are considering moving from America to Brittany. So Katrina and family this ones for you!We
can obviously give a broad outline of some of the issues a family may have to face
but I would recommend continuing your research in depth before making any
decisions.
Firstly
it is important to emphasise that France has not escaped the recession despite the lack of
news coverage worldwide. Many companies have had to close resulting in large
increases in unemployment and industrial unrest which takes on a whole new
meaning in France. Recently a spate of companies closing due to the
recession have been held to ransom by occupations and even threats of bombing
in demand of increased payouts.
Employment
is therefore an issue at this time and I would recommend anyone moving to France to have a job offer before making any moves. Self
employment is an option and if you have transferable skills then there are
opportunities for entrepreneurs who can identify a gap in the market. Katrina
mentions driving as a possible transferable skill, unfortunately driving
related businesses are suffering due to the lack of production at the moment,
but this may be short lived if the recession starts to lift.
One
of the problems faced by a lot of people coming to France is the transferability of qualifications. France in common with a lot of European countries places
a lot of barriers in the way of straightforward qualification acceptance,
despite member states of the European Union having an agreement in place to
accept common qualifications obtained in another member state. In the case of
American qualifications I would anticipate a similar bureaucratic minefield to
be crossed.
Clearly
the ability to speak French is a high priority in the current job market and
any additional language skills would be a bonus.
When
considering employment it is worth spending some time researching the availability,
location and average wage for perspective jobs as some areas of Brittany have limited scope for professionals seeking high
incomes. The majority of the higher paid employment is centred around the large
cities such as Rennes, St Brieuc and Brest. Lannion is an
exception to the rule as it has a large number of telecommunications companies
with a higher than average skills base.
Having
given you some of the negatives I am pleased to move on to the many positives
such as living in one of the most beautiful areas of France.
It is still unspoilt and the pace of life is such
that people still have the time and the inclination to stop and enjoy
conversation. The crime levels are extremely low and you can feel safe at any
time of day or night. Doors are often left unlocked and neighbours can be
relied upon to help out in any emergency without thought of recompense. Sound
idyllic! Well it can be depending on where you choose to live. (Have a look at
our post ‘Finding that Dream Home’)
We
have not been directly involved in finding school vacancies for children but
from the little we know the education system in France appears to be very good. The most important aspect
is the close link between schooling and employment which ensures that children
move seamlessly from one to the other. Once again it is worth researching academic
achievements by area as they differ considerably. One thing that is very
noticeable is the behaviour of children who are included in all adult activity,
resulting in a well rounded individual who has no problem socialising with all
age groups.
Apart
from commuting times the roads in Brittany are very quiet and driving is still enjoyable. Car
sharing is very popular in Brittany and car parks are often located adjacent to
auto route junctions to facilitate this shared transport philosophy. Transport
is good from main towns although small villages have limited public transport.
(School buses are provided)
It
is not possible to cover all the issues surrounding a move to Brittany in this one post but I hope I have covered some of
the important ones raised. A very good source of information can be found
at:
http://brittany.angloinfo.com/
This
site identifies all the key issues surrounding life in Brittany and gives you all the links to official web sites
for detailed information.
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