INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
By Roger Bartholomew

Roger Bartholomew spends his life talking with students - both as a teacher and as a counselor. His position as president of International Education Specialists, Chairman of Southville Foreign University and Director/Teacher at Southville International School all involve listening to students and parents and advising them on their studies and careers. He is a frequent speaker in schools, colleges, universities, public forums and focus groups. He can be reached at rogerb@inter-ed.com.

WANTED:  NURSES IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

PINOY NURSES GAIN LEVERAGE!
ENGLISH IS STILL THE PHILIPPINES GREATEST ADVANTAGE
IN CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND IN STUDIES

In recent interview Roger Bartholomew, the President of Inter-Ed, country’s pioneer in Study Abroad and soon to celebrate their 30th anniversary, said that last July 2009, Nursing Boards across Australia, New Zealand and the UK raised the English Language requirement for overseas nurses to gain registration in their country to IELTS 7.0 – 7.0 in all categories. Many people saw this as being a very restrictive move. However, it is quite possible that the Philippines will benefit from this. It is anticipated that the number of applications for registration from India and China will drop sharply, and that the Philippines will quickly become the No.1 supplier of nurses from Asia. Interestingly the biggest supplier of nurses to Australia and New Zealand is the UK and Ireland as they are not required to go through English Testing or a Registration program but can start work upon arrival. But, the Philippines are poised to become No. 3.

 It’s easy to write this, but not so easy to make it become a reality. Needless to say, there are some obstacles to be overcome to gain a clinical nursing position in Australia/New Zealand and enjoy the benefits of high salaries, education, welfare, government pensions, and a truly beautiful country to live in. International Education Specialists is putting on a showcase of educational/clinical providers to give nurses and potential nurses the latest, most accurate and most useful information about making the transition from a Registered Nurse in the Philippines to a registered nurse overseas.
On Saturday, November 14th, from 1:00pm – 5:00pm at the AIM Conference Center (opposite GreenBelt 1), Legaspi Village, Makati, Inter-Ed will have on display 10 education providers from Australia and New Zealand that offer registration programs, BSN degrees with credit transfer and related graduate courses, all leading to employment and residency. Some nurses, particularly those with more than one year’s work experience, will be able to obtain their eligibility/competency assessment from the Nursing boards and then take their registration courses. Others with lower IELTS scores, less work experience and in some cases even unlicensed, may be able to complete a nursing degree with credit transfer, and will automatically obtain their professional licensure when they graduate, moving straight to employment as a nurse. Others who may no longer want to continue with a Nursing career or who want to move in another direction can take graduate studies in related courses such as Addiction Studies.  New Zealand is in dire need of trained counselors for this area and this could also be taken by graduates of Psychology, Counseling and even Pastoral studies.

Bartholomew said that the biggest hurdle for taking up these great opportunities in Australia and NZ is getting the full picture of what is involved, how it needs to be done, and the benefits at the end. As such Inter-Ed will be making presentations every hour, followed by Q&A sessions and then one-on-one counseling. In addition, many of the Education Providers will have their nursing personnel on site, talking about their programs and institutions. Admission is completely free, but as seats are limited, on-line, text or phone pre-registration is required to be sure of entry (www.inter-ed.com; 0918-904-1282; 0917-5351956; 819-1001). Interested individuals must give their name, school of nursing, whether licensed or not, length of nursing work experience and cell contact no. Information handouts and application kits will be available for attending nurses and students.

English Language should not be a concern for most nurses, Bartholomew commented. Most nurses, just to be able to pass the Nursing Board exams, need an IELTS level of 6.0 – 6.5, so to increase that to the level required for Australia & NZ just requires a few hours of study with a competent IELTS teacher. As part of its program for Nurses, Inter-Ed conducts diagnostic tests and appropriate English Language classes to ensure the required IELTS score. In addition the Inter-Ed program walks the nurses through the eligibility/competency assessments with the various nursing boards, places the students into the registration programs (or degrees/graduate studies), organizes visas, travel, airport pick up, accommodation, clinical placement, registration, status transition and all the other aspects of gaining professional registration overseas so that nurses can concentrate on the most important aspect; studying and undergoing clinical placement to obtain their registration.

All Nurses, whatever their current status, are encouraged to come to find out about the great career opportunities that are open for them and to get the information that will allow them to make an informed decision as to what the future has in store for them.