An international assignment implies relocation—of the employee, and, very frequently, an accompanying partner and children. While employers increasingly provide pre-departure language and cultural awareness preparation to help orient the employee, the needs of the accompanying family often remain overlooked.
Yet, it is a well-documented fact that the single greatest reason for failed international assignments is family unhappiness. Accompanying partners increasingly leave behind their own fulfilling careers, only to find themselves isolated and without a sense of purpose and identity. Children, too, face major challenges in adapting to different education systems, having to make new friends and learn a new language. In short, relocation for the accompanying family can be even more challenging than for the employee.
Communicaid’s Family Training and Support courses provide detailed advice and information on all aspects of relocation and settling in to a new country. Tailored to individual needs, it covers not only the practical aspects of coping with everyday life, but also aims to minimise the sense of personal isolation and frustration often associated with relocating spouses and families.
Benefits
Communicaid’s Family Training and Support will provide you with:
- Up-to-date information and practical advice on living, working and studying in your new
prospective country, tailored to your individual needs and requirements
- An understanding of the emotional and cultural challenges you and your family may face in
the early phase of the relocation
- Advice tailored individually for family members on coping with “culture shock” and adapting to
the new country and culture
- Information and tips on employment opportunities
- An opportunity to raise concerns about the assignment Who should attend
Family Training courses will be of benefit to you if:
- You and your family are about to be assigned to work in a different country
- You have recently arrived in the new country, but have not yet been able to benefit from
spouse/family training
Course content
All our Family Training and Support courses are designed to meet each family’s individual needs and situation. A Family Training and Support course typically includes:
- Managing country and culture shock
- Practical information on all aspects of living in your new environment
- Career opportunities
- School and college systems
- Social opportunities and making new friends
- Strategies for coping and making the most of your experience Approach
Family Training and Support courses are available seven days a week, 365 days a year, either at one of our training centres in London, Paris, Frankfurt and New York or at your offices in any location worldwide. We usually recommend a one or two day course but can also offer a more flexible format to suit your schedule. We can also arrange for you to explore your new neighbourhood and community with your trainer as well as class room based training.
Suitably tailored materials will be used throughout your Family Training and Support course and your trainer will provide a balance of structured input and discussion of case studies and scenarios relevant to your own particular context.
The most appropriate training format, content and approach for your Family Training and Support course will be discussed during your diagnostic consultancy (please click here to read more about our approach).
Family Training and Support course trainer
Your Family Training and Support trainer will be assigned to you following the results of your diagnostic consultancy according to your objectives and areas of focus. Detailed below is a sample profile.
LM
LM is an American national who has lived and worked in France and Germany and is now based in the UK. She has over fifteen years’ experience as a successful marketing executive, nine years’ experience of delivering intercultural training and first-hand experience of culture shock and the relocation process.
LM first provided cultural training to expatriates and repatriates in the oil industry and their families in Texas during the early nineties. She then relocated to New Mexico and worked in hi-tech sales with American Income Life Insurance Co. and BASIS International. This gave her in-depth knowledge of American perspectives related to sales, customer service, management and communication patterns.
In 2001, LM relocated to Paris and resumed her career in intercultural training delivering courses for Prudential, Berlitz and the Sorbonne. She relocated with her family to the UK in 2005 and works as an independent consultant. She has provided both business and family training courses to Communicaid clients including Cadbury Schweppes. |
Cross-cultural Training
+44 (0)20 3370 8580
