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Shortage of ballet dancers - according to the BBC


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Just a snippet part way through this article.  I wonder where they've got the idea there's a shortage of ballet dancers in this country.  Maybe, as I said to my hubby who brought it to my attention, because there are so many non-Brits in British companies - are they just assuming there aren't enough British dancers to fill the positions.  As he said, if there's a shortage, how come they're paid so badly. My son's giving up because he can't afford to live on the wages they get in this country (would be OK in one of the big companies but there aren't enough jobs to go round in those!)

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34191123

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It is the list of professions where I believe it is easier for non-EU nationals to get permission to work here. Does anyone else remember that we had a discuss a while ago because it looked as though our home companies would have more difficulty, for example, recruiting Australians if ballet dancers were not included on the list?

 

I saw the item on the news and it seemed mainly to be about a disconnect between visa allocations by immigration and recruitment by NHS. The ballet dancer bit was just a throwaway remark.

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Like Janet I took it as a throw away remark that ballet dancers and computer games programmers are on the list but not nurses. Would be interesting to see the list or if it is just a rumour doing the rounds of NHS HR departments.

And the reality is if your ballet dancer can't speak good English is it a problem? If your application is held up to join the NHS because your English isn't good enough is it a problem?

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Like Janet I took it as a throw away remark that ballet dancers and computer games programmers are on the list but not nurses. Would be interesting to see the list or if it is just a rumour doing the rounds of NHS HR departments.

And the reality is if your ballet dancer can't speak good English is it a problem? If your application is held up to join the NHS because your English isn't good enough is it a problem?

As an ex-health service worker, yes understanding and speaking English is important. As for ballet dancers, Osipova seems to be surviving ok and Makarova has been murdering the English language for 45 years. She hasn't done too badly

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Just a snippet part way through this article.  I wonder where they've got the idea there's a shortage of ballet dancers in this country.  Maybe, as I said to my hubby who brought it to my attention, because there are so many non-Brits in British companies - are they just assuming there aren't enough British dancers to fill the positions.  As he said, if there's a shortage, how come they're paid so badly. My son's giving up because he can't afford to live on the wages they get in this country (would be OK in one of the big companies but there aren't enough jobs to go round in those!)

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34191123

 

Sorry to hear about your son giving up due to poor wages.

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Interesting that the only physical-science jobs where they claim to have a shortage are in the energy industry. Priorities, priorities....

 

I suppose that having classical ballet dancers and classical musicians on the list makes it easier for the major companies to bypass all the thousands of British youngsters and hire from the cream of the international crop of students, even though there isn't anything remotely resembling a shortage of British candidates. But really, all it takes is someone with political connections to drop a word in the right ear, and there you go.

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Interesting that the only physical-science jobs where they claim to have a shortage are in the energy industry. Priorities, priorities....

 

I suppose that having classical ballet dancers and classical musicians on the list makes it easier for the major companies to bypass all the thousands of British youngsters and hire from the cream of the international crop of students, even though there isn't anything remotely resembling a shortage of British candidates. But really, all it takes is someone with political connections to drop a word in the right ear, and there you go.

It is a list that is for job seekers from outside Europe. There are no restrictions on free movement on workers within Europe be they scientists or dancers. Although I believe anyone from outside UK is soon to have to prove English language competence if working within health care.

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Yes, I know about the movement of workers within the EU, since a couple of friends of mine from European countries are working in the UK at the moment (and are a bit worried about what might happen if the EU membership referendum leads to a British exit). Still, a lot of scientists these days are from Asia, although often educated in the USA or the UK, and possibly hoping to work in the UK. I assume the same is also true for ballet dancers.

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(Thanks to those responding to the comment about my son.  It's not the only reason, but I won't go into all the ins and outs here. Those of you who I know personally will hear more about his plans on my FB page in the not too distant future I'm sure!  Please don't comment further on here - but I'll respond to PMs)

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