grahamryde

Hi all, I am currently in UK, was born here and attempted to move to Canada at the start of the year which did not work out as I do not have a skilled occupation. We then did our research and came across Germany somewhere we never would have thought off. My mums ain't lives there so we thought it would be the best move for our family at this time. I just wanted some advice on the lifestyle there? The salaries and if it is easy to obtain a job in Berlin ( where we are going) and also I have a younger sibling still in secondary school, would school be free for him and could he still get a English education? We would only be living there temporarily aprox 1 year until we have all undergone apprentiships to become federal skilled workers in Canada. We can't relocate somewhere in UK as we are under harassment (whole different situation) please advise on how easy or difficult this move would be for us and if am right that we don't need to apply for a visa as we are uk citizens?

Thanks all, god bless.

Assanah

As a UK citizen you don't need a visa.

Do you speak German? If not your chances of finding a decent job or apprenticeship are (not surprisingly) low. Probably in tourism unless you have skills that are in the highest demand. Berlin has high unemployment but tourism is doing great. Probably good to understand and speak enough German to work in a cafe or bar (went to a burger shop in Kreuzberg and there most staff was English speaking The Bird - The Bird in Berlin )

Good German will also be the key for finding social contacts. But then again Berlin is a very international city now with lots of young people from around the world living in the city for a while. So if you don't want to really get to know Germany and the Germans you will be fine with English.

Berlin is a very young, interesting, relaxed, and exciting city. Lots of cultural things to do, lots of cafes, restaurants, and bars, lots of museums, history, lots of building sites (the city is always renewing itself). Many lakes and rivers are nearby and lots of parks to hang out. Berlin is a very green city. Rental prices are going up and up and up but are still massively cheaper than in London. Do you have some money saved up so that you can survive for a while without income? Berlin is a bit shabby and not the right place for a career in financial services

As you can imagine nearly all schools in Germany are German speaking schools. There are a few bi-lingual ones such as the Nelson Mandela school and the John F Kennedy school. It is not easy to get a place though. Maybe you could contact them and see what they can do for your sibling.

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the Forum! If you don't speak German, it will be difficult for you "all" to do apprenticeships to become skilled workers for your Canada plans, let alone earn enough for you all to live on. How many are concerned by these plans, apart from you and your brother?
"Call centres" come to mind, my Anglo-French daughters did this when they first arrived in Berlin, but the pay is poor and they didn't have healthcare cover.
If your great-aunt is willing to put you up rent-free for a year, and you have enough savings to survive for the duration, and you find a solution for your brother's schooling, then make serious enquiries about apprenticeships in Berlin in your chosen professions.
But without any knowledge of German, you'll have problems and it might be worth considering Eire where there wouldn't be a problem of language, at least....
Good luck!

SinaGermany

Well, I think know a lot of people that start to learn german when they moved to this beautiful country. So, don´t worry, you still can learn german and improve it when you are here. For finding a job it might be difficult, but still this shouldn´t be a problem when you have a CV which is up to date (and in the best case written in german language).
Well, Berlin is a great city with much people from abroad and a lot of english speakers (but the unemployment rate is higher that in other parts of Germany like in the south).
Good luck!

dmu

Just a reminder that the OP only intends to stay in Germany for about a year, doing apprenticeships with a view to "all" becoming "federal skilled workers" in Canada. It will be difficult to learn skills in a foreign language as soon as they arrive.
If the OP can tick the three preoccupations mentioned in #3 positively, then the family should make enquiries from Governmant sources as to how to become apprentices in Germany (a google search under "Lehrling - Ausbildung" should give some official results).
P.S. The age limits for apprentices in France is 16-25 years old. This is the sort of info that the OP needs to research before taking the plunge....

Assanah

I agree. It is going to be a massive effort. Learning any language is a huge effort and you won't get far unless you have the proper motivation

Maybe going to France and learning French would be the better option because of the French speaking part of Canada? But again without knowledge of French it will be difficult to find jobs/apprenticeships.

dmu

I can post official links if France is an option, but French bureaucracy being what it is, the family concerned would have to cope with a massive paper-chase and probably get all English documents translated into French.... They would also have to find French employers willing to take on "all" these candidates who don't speak French.....
Depending on what profession is chosen, the duration of apprenticeship contracts lasts from one to three years.
But the practical problems of renting, surviving and the brother's schooling would have to be overcome first, wherever they decide to do this.

SinaGermany

First of all, in Germany nearly everybody speaks English very well - compared to France where they are so proud of their language that they tend to ignore English speakers (in Paris it was the case). Their unemployment rate is about 10% - in Germany about 5%.
And Berlin is a very dynamic town and well structured for families (a lot of english speaking schools which don´t cost a fortune as well).
Germany is hiring people so much. Our clients are from every part of Europe and they are moving to Germany and learning german because of the low unemployment rate. They have all found a job in a short amount of time (also in Berlin, where they recruit a lot of people in start ups in the field of marketing,for example)

Moses2013

I don't know where you get your information from, but so many people are struggling in Germany and they don't need more people coming claiming benefits. There are plenty of Ausbildungsstellen, because it's cheaper to pay someone €600 a month, rather than offering a Vollzeitstelle. After the Ausbildung plenty aren't taken on and the ones that do get a job afterwards, can't expect huge pay. Without German, or a skill that is in high demand, most end up in a ghetto complaining that Germany didn't give them a chance. Like in every city there are multinationals employing if that's what you mean. Berlin well structured for families? I remember Rütli Schule and that's just one example.

calman014

You are best to do more research. Look at some of the other posts from other people with the same question. The post from "Sina Germany" is obviously irrelevant and from somebody with zero knowledge of the real and current situation in Germany. You can't just pack your bags and move. If you have family there it's a start, but that's all. There is a lot more you need to take into consideration. If you don't speak German you are already at a massive disadvantage and it will prevent you from doing the most simple tasks. Do your research. You will need some form of income.

Moses2013

Can only agree again. It also seems to be the case that more people want to move to Germany because they heard it's good. Sure Berlin has improved and there are multinationals employing, but as everywhere skills are required. When I hear things like "Germany is hiring people so much" then it must really be a Wunderland. Like any country there's good and bad, but people need to be realistic.

LissiAlleman

Hello everyone,

I think that it is not easy to settle down in Germany and build up a new home if you don't speak German (But I guess it is the same in any country). Finding a proper job will be in most cases more difficult if you don't speak the language. Also to establish friendships can be more difficult because not everyone will speak fluent English. A friend of mine wants to move to Germany depending on if he gets the job he applied for. He does not speak German which is a problem and will be probably the reason for the employer to employ another person. But if you just want to go for one year and leave from there to Canada it may be a nice experience. Berlin is also full of people from all around the globe - so it will be more easy to find english speakin people than in a small town.

All the best!!!

Moses2013

The OP mentioned it was only a year, but I still think that other people on this forum should be aware that Germany is not full of jobs. I also don't think moving a child around is the solution. Berlin is exciting if you like cheap beer, are young and aren't too bothered what's tomorrow:-) It's also a different story if your company moves you there. Germany is like any country and it's essential to have skills, speak the language and to know the culture. Because of the media you now have people wanting to move to Germany and a few years ago they probably didn't even know Germany existed Germany has done well, but it's definitely not what it was 10-20 years ago. Germany is actually at the top when it comes to low wages. Last year there was an article on Spiegel, that every fourth person in Germany works for less than 9,54 brutto per hour.

nicewan

Good luck!

There are English speaking schools, but they can cost a pretty penny. BBIS in Kleinmachnow (just outside the city) and the British School in Charlottenberg are examples of this.

The general rule in Berlin is that you'll probably earn less, but get more bang for your buck (depending on where in the UK you're coming from). The job market can be very tricky, but there is work available. There are a lot of smaller, English speaking companies in Berlin, for instance I know this place is hiring: https://www.blacklane.com/en/career .

The trick is to just get your head down and not be too picky. Once you've been employed once here it becomes a whole different ball game. And the lifestyle is fantastic if you're a young person. Cheap drinks, parties all night, liberal attitudes. I went through all this about a year ago, so if you've any more questions I might be able to answer them.

scorpio14

Language is a very crucial requirement if you want to look for a job in Germany. My brother was lucky enough to get hired by a multi-national company that needed an employee who can speak both and German and English very well. His wife who just recently moved in with him Munich struggled learning the language because everything was new to her and that includes culture as well.

But try to stay positive. There are multi-national companies that would hire english speaking employees but it is a plus if you can speak German as well.

With regards to lifestyle, according to my brother who lived in Singapore prior to Germany, there is quite a huge difference. In Singapore, just like every other Asian country, they are expected to work longer hours. As for Germany, they work shorter hours and it seems more efficient. With shorter working hours, they can enjoy leisure time afterwards, which is important to most Germans.