steens

Hi my partner has just recieved a job offer in Toronto and I would like to join him but am concerned about my job prospects in Canada. I am a UK Primary school teacher and have been for four years. I have researched the criteria for visas and conversion of qualifications and understand that it is certainly far from straight forward. I don't want to get out there and discover that I have to re-qualify or get another career. Is there anything I could do before moving that might give me a slight advantage of getting through the system and securing some type of work even if it is supply I would be happy. I just don't want to have to give up my career.

lmartin999

Getting accreditation with the OCT (Ontario College of Teachers) is painful and not cheap, but straightforward. Getting a job is virtually impossible. There is a huge surplus and oversupply of teachers in Ontario (in the region of 25,000). There is still some demand for French, but this too is diminishing. Some info from an OCT study (and the situation has not improved):

http://professionallyspeaking.oct.ca...tures/T2T.aspx

Siouxie

http://www.teachingjobs.com/#

http://www.eslemployment.com/country...bs-canada.html

http://www.educationcanada.com/

http://www.oct.ca/become_a_teacher/job_links.aspx

http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/detail-eng....ge=50&Stdnt=No

http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/res-eng.asp...ge=50&Stdnt=No

http://www.jobsineducation.com

You could try the private schools too.

christmasoompa

And as nobody else has given you this link yet, this Wiki page may be useful reading.............http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Teaching_in_Canada

Also, just so you are aware in case you haven't discovered this, but as you are not married, you'd need to have lived with your partner for a year or more to qualify for a spousal open work permit (if their job offer is 'skilled').

What stage is your partner's job offer/visa at, have the company applied for the LMO yet? What's their job?

Good luck, welcome to the forum.

steens

Thank you for your advice, my partner is in the early stages of negotiation, visas etc. haven't started to be organised yet, he is in the games industry. I just want to make a decision with as much information and advice as I can gather. I have grown up as an expatriate and seen my mother have difficulty as a teacher in some countries. I just want to make an informed decision. I am prepared to work hard to get a position, but don't want to put myself in an impossible situation where there really is no work.
Would a speciality in special needs or a subject help me more?

lmartin999

French, secondary science, tech studies. Special ed might help a bit.

Atlantic Xpat

Wouldn't Special Ed require a second degree in Special Ed? It does here in Nfld.
(in theory).

chanceUK

pretty much all of the occasional (supply) teachers in ontario will have an additional basic qualification in special ed (part 1).

Annd

You might want to check out this site as you should apply to have your qualifications evaluated - http://www.qeco.on.ca/qeco/
I know many people here who have qualified as teachers in the UK, and other places, who have had their qualifications processed and accepted in Ontario so do not see any problem with you getting an Ontario College of Teachers number. The problem is getting onto the supply lists of the various school boards. Some boards only open their lists for a very short time and if you miss the window you will have to wait for the next opportunity. If you do get on a list then you will probably get supply work throughout the year and that is how you get know in schools. Unfortunately you really need to be here to do a lot of this admin "stuff."
Hope this helps.

helcat12

In B.C, the BCCT (British Columbia College of Teachers) told me that they will not register you and won't accredit your qualifications and experience until you are resident in Canada.
You cannot get a job without being licensed by them.

I would check this with the Ontario board - this is the link.
http://www.oct.ca/IET/guidelines.aspx?lang=en-CA

Good Luck!

Tom Masters

It isn't easy but it can be done. You won't be able to supply until you are registered with OCT and have applied to work as a supply teacher with a school board. In order to get on to the supply list, you should volunteer in a couple of schools and get a Principal to recommend you on to the list. From there, you will get short term supply which will lead to long term supply. Contract (permanent) positions normally are given to those who have experience in the schoools where the contract position becomes available.

The OCT are v. slow and you can't apply until you are resident. However, once you have OCT status, you can do additional qualifications in various subjects which will help you get jobs, give you some insight into teaching in Ontario and bump up your pay. I recommend getting qualifications in spec. ed. and intermediate so that you can apply for as many jobs as you can.

I started out supply teaching/volunteering in 2005 and am now a Vice Principal of an elementary school over here. It can be done through hard work and determination. If you have that, it is case of 'when' and not 'if' you get a teaching job. You will also have to have enough money to keep you going while you volunteer and take courses!

lmartin999

Just an OCT update.

Although I have no intention of teaching in Ontario there were some professional reasons why it was useful for me to have membership of OCT. I submitted an application in late August to have my credentials evaluated and it was actually quite straightforward (surprisingly). I graduated university in the UK way before things like transcripts existed and my old department had actually closed so the paperwork I had was somewhat minimal. I also had an unusual teaching qualification. However, I gathered what I could and got it sent to OCT. They came back with one query asking for copies of my degree and teaching certificate. I heard today my application was accepted.
So, about four months in total, about two and a half months from when all the paperwork reached them. Pretty easy actually.

Novocastrian

Do you, perhaps, have an inside contact at OCT?

lmartin999

I would like to think my superior qualifications and experience sealed the deal

Of course if I could find a teaching job, it would likely also mean a higher salary than in my current position!

Oink

You want to get a few of them grant thingamajigs from the US ED, they'll keep you in beer and fags for a while. You just got throw in a few in vogue catchphrases.