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My first thought was: What is the education system like in Portugal? Your father has good maths and knowledge at a problem solving level of applied science, and
by keithpeter 11y ago
My first thought was: What is the education system like in Portugal? Your father has good maths and knowledge at a problem solving level of applied science, and the kind of communication skills that come in middle management/technical jobs.
Are there exams that teenagers have to take?
Do those exams include mathematics/science content?
Is there a market for 'coaches'? People who coach students in their home at an hourly rate?
Context: I'm a teacher in the UK where we have quite an industry in private tutoring. Needs patience, readiness to read the textbooks and think how to explain the content, and ability to work with teenagers (a skill set that successful parents may have mastered:)
My other thought was: how much do they actually need per month? Have they done a budget?
I'll be retiring sometime next year and my occupational pension isn't huge. I'll need to make around 7 to 8 thousand pounds on top of it. I have some plans to generate income around that figure while also having some time.
- paulojreis 11y agoMy father actually started his career as a math teacher, but he could also (obviously) teach chemistry. But private tutoring here is hell. Teachers are probably the most unemployed skilled professionals in Portugal. As you can imagine, one of the results (besides huge emigration) is a huge supply of private tutors and tutoring centres. About your other question, they (both my parents) probably could live off € 700,00 per month. It doesn't sound like much, but with the wages here it's very hard to put aside enough money to keep you going for years without a job (even with the low-ish cost of life here) Maybe I should give him a Breaking Bad box set :)
- keithpeter 11y agoI suspected the situation you describe might be the case based on what we read here about Europe in the UK. OK: my only other thought is perhaps a bit odd: are there other manufacturing/ science based companies that are closing down/disintegrating? If so some part time work staying with them until they close and managing all the health and safety, asset disposal and equipment sales might be viable. I know a chap who did that in and around the Black Country (Midlands industrial belt near Birmingham and Wolverhampton) in the UK in the 80s when all the foundries were closing down and being sold to Bihar in India. I have no direct experience of that myself.
- paulojreis 11y agoI'm not really well informed about this, but here - when a company "closes" - they're assigned (by the state) a insolvency manager. From that point on, the manager will hire whoever he sees fit to handle the spoils, so to speak. From what I know, the process is rather obscure (as in, corrupt). It typically ends up with employers pillaging the spoils before the insolvency guys come in. Very third-world, I know - I have a pocket microscope from the spoils, actually.
- pt35pt 11y ago>what we read here about Europe in the UK. Just out of curiosity, I get the vibe you don't consider the UK part of Europe, is this true?
- keithpeter 11y agoAgghhhh ok I should have said "what we read here in the UK about the rest of Europe". Best of luck to all in this situation.