GillyG

I am emigrating to Brisbane/Gold Coast in September and am hoping to get a job working with children. I am a qualified nursery nurse and also a qualified primary school teacher but can't teach as my teaching degree was "only" 3 years long. I know I will have to get a Blue Card (can I apply for that before I leave the UK?) and also know I will have to get a first aid certificate. If I do the first aid course with someone like the Red Cross in the UK will it be valid in Oz?

Any other advice greatly received!

Pollyana

The Qld Blue Card for working with kids is administered by the Commission for Children, and you can't apply until you are here because your employer has to deal with the application.
http://www.bluecard.qld.gov.au/employment/

hunt66

Hi,
As has been said you can apply for the the blue card here it is very easy, it is also best to do the First Aid course here as most UK courses are not recognised. You need to complete a 2 day full course. I just googled Red cross, there are loads of courses I am on the Gold Coast also and did my First Aid a week or so after arriving. You may also need to have your qualification assesses so you have a letter to take to interviews to prove you have a child care qualification.

Good Luck
Claire

maund family

Would you mind me asking how long it took for you to find work. We are over in 4 weeks, and will be looking for work asap.
thanks gill

hunt66

Sorry for the delay in replying have not had internet, it took me about 3 months to start a full time job had a few weeks of casual 2 day a week work with one kindy before i found my job, it is very different to the UK though. I also did my first aid and got my blue card sorted asap.

Good luck Claire

GillyG

OK thanks. Does it need to be a first aid course especially for working with children or is a general first aid course OK? I have had a look on the Red Cross Australia website and there doesn't appear to be any two day courses dedicated to first aid for infants.

hunt66

Hi I spoke to St John and they said i needed to have a two day course and they had lots of dates to choose from, just look up a local company and ask what they suggest, the one i did was a full general couse with cpr and the usual broken bones, burns etc.
Claire