Immigration Matters

by Charles Kelly

Immigration Adviser & Co-Author of the book

HOW 2 Come to the UK
to live, work, study or visit

 

Welcome to Immigration Matters 26 August 2004. In this edition:

 

What Can Caregiver Schools Do For You?

 

What Caregiver Schools Will Do For You

 

According to the TESDA website, there are over 600 registered caregiver programmes in the Philippines.  Many Caregiver Schools in the Philippines offer a six-month programme which offers to ‘train students to be Professional Caregivers in the United Kingdom’.  A typical course may focus on skills to provide professional care to children, the elderly and the disabled. The course duration could be 750 hours of lecture and laboratory and 240 hours of on-the-job training in a hospital or health care institution.

 

For example, the “CPV” Caregiver School, with branches all over the Philippines, offers a comprehensive six-month course based on UK standards and is run by Mrs Rabang, a qualified UK Registered General Nurse.  Graduates from the School should have a clearer understanding of the UK system and what to expect when they start working here.

 

What Caregiver Schools Will Not Do For You

 

Before you enrol on a course with a Caregiver School, please remember that you will not necessarily be eligible for a job in the United Kingdom when you have successfully completed the course.

 

This is because a caregiver course is not a recognised qualification in the UK and, therefore, the Home Office will not grant a work permit based solely on this qualification,  You will also need relevant working experience before you will be eligible to apply for a Work Permit in the UK. 

 

Each week I receive hundreds of enquiries from applicants or their relatives who have just completed their six month course in the Philippines and are now looking for a job.  The first question I ask them is “how many years of actual work experience do you have?”  The answer, more often than not is “none”.  Basically, they have previously worked as accountants, teachers, lawyers…etc, who have decided to switch to care-giving and taken a course with a view to coming to the UK.  Whilst I feel very sorry for them, there is nothing I can do other than to advise them that other countries, for example Canada, may accept their qualification.

 

Points To Watch

 

  • Always choose a school accredited by the Technical Education and Skill Development Authority (TESDA), which is the monitoring and implementing arm of the Philippine Government in technical and skills education. You can check their website: www.tesda.gov.ph

 

  • Check the course syllabus and find out if it caters for the UK or other countries.

 

  • Remember that whilst most schools offer excellent training, they usually cannot guarantee you a job at the end of the course, even with relevant experience.

 

  • Talk to previous graduates and ask them if they found the course useful and, more importantly, whether or not they have a job.

 

  • Find out if the school has links with job providers who may be able to assist you in finding work.

 

 

 

Finally, be realistic in your expectations as to what a caregiver school can offer you before parting with your hard earned cash.