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Thread: Alternative option

  1. #1
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    Oct 2010
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    Default Alternative option

    Hey all,

    My wife and I have been trying to get picked out of the pool for a while now, and as a result of discrepancies between UK qualifications and NZ ones (Early Years/Early Childhood) it turns out we have a pathetic amount of points and no real chance of getting pulled out and offered another ITA.

    Undeterred, we visited NZ House in London and had a chat with a very helpful dude who made a suggestion; go to NZ on a tourist visa and look for a job. If we get a job then we can apply for a permanent visa from there.

    It was a bit of a revelation as it's obviously pretty risky, but it did throw a spanner in the works as we hadn't really considered it before.

    What do you guys think? Would we be crazy to go for this option? We are both teachers and have done NZQA and got Level 7 and are in the process of getting registered with the NZTC. We've also had EOIs selected and once received an ITA that we couldn't submit, so know what we need to do to complete the process.

    We would love to know what you think, so thanks for any advice you can give.

    Dan

  2. #2
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    Jun 2009
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    Hang on, with registration, a level 7 NZQA then surely you must be getting up there on points? Is Early Childhood on the LTSSL? Just trying to work out why you're so low on points. Have you got experience as well?

  3. #3
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    Duncan, NZ only recognize VERY few foreign qualifications for working in the Early Childhood area - the NZ qualifications are a sort of cross between teaching and nannying, from what people have said. This means that you can have been a nursery school teacher for a respectable number of years in some other country, fully qualified for THERE, but it all counts for very little when NZQA starts looking for equivalences.

  4. #4
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    OK, but I was basing on the above where a level 7 is a level 7 in simple qualification terms, but also the registration.

    The question was partly as if you've not got the equivalent qualifications / experience then I'm not sure that you'd be able to get a work permit when you got a job offer as you'd need to show that no kiwi could do the (unskileld) job. I say unslilled not because I believe that you aren't skilled, but because the specific qualifications you hold aren't recognised.

    So either you have the skills that means that I'd expect more points, or you don't, in which case I can't see how you'd get a work permit.

  5. #5
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    I wonder if they're maybe registering "just" as teachers, not EC teachers, intending to work outside that age range - ?? dan-ish?

  6. #6
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    Hey guys,

    We have just 105 points - we have been to NZ house in London and the immigration officer totted them up for us. We cross the threshold to get into the pool, but the chances of being pulled out are very slim.

    My wife did a PGCE in Early Years education - which in the UK means she is qualified to teach in a Primary school as well as a nursery. However, in NZ she is not qualified to teach Early Childhood, which is on the LTSSL. This is the result of the lack of points.

    We would both be going to NZ as registered primary school teachers as all we need is a job offer to get us selected from the pool and offered an ITA. We would be applying for jobs teaching ages between 5 and 11 years old.

    So many people are saying that the chances of getting a job in a school when they can't shake our hand and look us in the eye are very slim. Apparently, as a male teacher in a primary school, I'm told that I have a bit of an advantage (like in the UK) and I like to think that I am a competent teacher so think I've got a reasonable chance of getting a job in NZ, even if we are just there in a tourist visa...

    You two seem to be the most knowledgeable folk on here and I obviously value your opinions. We would be going to NZ on a wing and a prayer and would work extremely hard to secure a job - I just wondered how you felt about people doing that?

    Sorry to post such a long one, and again, thanks for your help.

    Dan

  7. #7
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    Many, MANY people have gone that route. Obviously you know you're taking a chance which might not pay off, but it very well could. How I'd feel about it is that it takes a lot of nerve, and wish you all the best with it. ++++++++++++++++++

    Another thought - I don't know how old you are, but a WHV if you're under 30, or BUNAC if you're under 35, would mean you could work at anything that offered, to help support yourselves while you're looking for a teaching job.

  8. #8
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    Hey Dan-ish,

    Good to see you posting again - I know we started this process at about the same time and it was rough to see your experience of being put back in the pool.

    However, have you considered applying for jobs from the UK once you've got your NZTC registrations through? I know it won't work for everyone, but as you might have seen, it has for us, and I think AusKiwi got offered a post from overseas as well. It seems that there are plenty of places - agencies for example - suggesting it is nigh on impossible for you to get offered a teaching post from overseas - but it doesn't seem to be the case at all. If you've the experience and knowledge they want, then they'll talk to you.

    Like I said, it's only a chance, but maybe it's something to try before going the whole hog? If you don't get any bites after a month or two, then go for it I'd say. You've no kids to think of as I remember? So that reduces your risk a bit in my opinion.

    I'd say there's definitely value in being there in person to meet people and hand in applications in person - I couldn't very well say any different having just come back from a work reccy of my own - but perhaps a testing of the water from the UK first for a little bit might be worth a shot too?

    Just a thought - obviously wish you the best of luck with whatever you do!

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by dan-ish View Post
    Hey guys,
    You two seem to be the most knowledgeable folk on here and I obviously value your opinions.
    I'd keep your poor judge of character to yourself at interview, or at least your 50% reliability

    I'll have a word with a work colleague tomorrow as he's the chairman of a school board and was talking about the lack of male applicants a few months ago. See what he says about apllications without PR.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
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    Hey again all,

    Thanks for the replies - your input is invaluable

    Gorstsmit - As soon as jobs are advertised that start in January, we will be applying for them (I am signed up to the edgazette e-mail) even from here in the UK. The thing is that obviously for teaching there is a small period of time when jobs are profusely advertised for the coming school year. In NZ this is reputedly the end of October and during November, so that is when we are heading out.

    We have actually booked our flights to NZ now - October the 24th - and when we get there, we are going to offer to volunteer in some schools in Auckland and apply for every teaching job we can find!

    It is a huge risk, but we are extremely committed to going to New Zealand and will do whatever we can to get jobs and make it work.

    J and M - my wife is eligible for the WHV, but I've had one before (that's how I fell in love with NZ). We are considering this option, but think it might be better for us to do some volunteering and then dedicate 100% of our time to searching for jobs. We are in the fortunate financial position of being able to do this, so may leave that as an option for if we don't get a job before January.

    Duncan - it would be interesting to hear what your colleague says about applicants without PR - thanks for that.

    Again, sorry for the long post!

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