UK teaching quals in Canada
 

Hi
We just got PR and are planning our relocation.
Have any further/adult ed teachers from UK experienced finding similar work in Canada? I teach English to 16+ (GCSE, A level, FS, Access, ESOL, you name it. And a bit of maths on occasion...)
i am currently having my quals (PGCE for post-compulsory education and training) checked out by Alberta province. They asked if I'm registered with SET in UK. I'm not as no college I've ever worked for here required it and it's expensive. I have asked Alberta if being registered with SET is a requirement but they haven't got back to me (that was a few weeks back).
Do I need to fork out and register, or even do the QTLS, does anyone know?
thanks for any advice!

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

It's a long time since I taught in England ........... and SET did not exist then. Nor am I in Alberta, so I have no idea what having or not having SET means to them.

Do you have a university degree (BA, BSc, etc) followed by an education diploma or a degree in education?

Most education authorities over here require one of the above.

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

Thanks for this. I have BA Hons English Lit, PGCE (PCET), and some other random stuff such as Cert TEFL and a CIPD Level 5 in HR Management (which I did for the adult training/coaching/mentoring relevance). I don't have QTS as I don't work with U16s in schools. I've taught for about 12 years (second career).

I notice you're in BC, I'd be interested to know what their policy is as it's another province we're considering (currently targeting Alberta as it's cheaper...)

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

Not sure if this Wiki articles covers qualifications, but might be useful reading - https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Teaching_in_Canada

HTH.

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

Thanks Christmasoompa, I hadn't come across that before and it's useful.
This says teaching in Canada is a non-starter for expats which is disheartening...however I don't do school teaching, I'd be looking at adult ed/alternative provision such as community colleges. Hoping someone can tell me the picture is more encouraging in that sector..? I have previously worked with learners who have 'multiple barriers to learning' in alternative settings. There isn't usually much of a waiting list of teachers wanting to work those jobs here, wondering if the picture is similar in Canada?

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

Your previous thread may be worth re-reading - https://britishexpats.com/forum/cana...r-work-820432/

Sorry, but I don't know about the demand for your kind of role, I just know that teaching isn't really a great job to move to Canada with, but perhaps your specialisms will mean your outlook is different. Hopefully those in the know will be along shortly to give you some advice.

Good luck.

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

My ex taught high school equivalency to adult students in suburban Toronto; the students typically had 'multiple barriers to learning'. Since it was here and in French it's not of any direct relevance but; it is true that, here at least, the usual barriers to gaining a teaching position don't apply.

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

Go online, look for Community Colleges in AB (and BC if you are so interested), and see what they are requesting in job ads.

Most upgrading courses to high school equivalency for adult learners (ie, over 21) is done at these colleges.

In BC, alternative schooling for children in trouble OR those deeply involved in sports such as playing for the local junior hockey team, ballet, music, etc is done by the school board at Alternative Schools usually held in an annex to a high school. Which means it is taught by high school teachers subject to the regulations I described above.

We know several people who teach or who have taught the high school equivalency programmes at Community Colleges in BC, and they have all had either a Masters or PhD before taking the position. However many such positions are only temporary (ie, sessional), and the colleges that teach these programmes may well be away from the big cities.

Only trade teachers seem not to require degrees here.

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

It won't be straightforward since college for 16-18 years doesn't exist in Canada as such. They have secondary until 18 years. College is post-secondary: a more technically inclined alternative to University, or sometimes what students do after university since it is more job-oriented. It's not dissimilar to polytechnics. So it is a slightly different system in Canada. That said, do not give up because of that. You fall between categories which means you have a foot in a number of camps. Colleges are starting to employ more PhDs because there is such a surplus of them, but it is not mandatory for a college so you can still apply. It's not easy to get a permanent job there though, but you can still try. Also, they do hire 'sessionals,' so they hire lecturers for individual courses and you can apply for as many as you can handle at as many different colleges as you can handle. It's part-time, but it gets your foot in the door. Your qualifications may well transfer to secondary school teaching. If not, they will probably say you have to do a few top-up courses on a few things they require that you don't happen to have in order to get registered. Don't worry about what you haven't got: they will take what you do have, translate it to their system, and then tell you what else you need to do to get fully qualified. Often you can take these in part-time, summer or evening courses. I'm sure they will tell you what you need. Although it is hard to get a job as a teacher because there is a surplus of people who are qualified, if you are in more rural, less popular areas, it can be easier. Plus, you have a third easier option that you didn't mention, which is second-language teaching. Especially in Vancouver there are a lot of private language colleges for 18+ (think Brighton/London), and I would think you'd be well-qualified there. Although you have TEFL, not TESL, you also have your PGCE so combined they would probably accept that. They are private so don't have requirements like schools do, so you can just send your resume and try your luck. If you're not keen on this long-term, you could always do it for a few years while you top up your qualifications for wherever you do want to be. Lastly, I understand that (at least in Ontario and I assume it'll be the same in Alberta) there are ESL tutors in primary and secondary schools who get hired by a local board of education (so a bunch of schools in one area) and they go around to the local schools during the school day providing extra help to international students in the school system. There are also tutors for special needs students who work in the classroom but are not the main teacher. You sound like you could do either of these. They may require the Canadian PGCE equivalence since it's within the school system, but you could apply with the condition that you would be taking the course top-ups while you are tutoring part time, or something like that. That's IF the Alberta board comes back and says you aren't qualified as a secondary teacher, but they may well say you are, so fingers crossed. What I'm getting at here is that although it is not going to be a straightforward step into the exact same job, you certainly have options with your qualifications so I wouldn't give up hope just because you don't have a PhD for college teaching and may not qualify as a secondary teacher (approx 13-18 years) immediately. There are other options. I hope this helps. Best of luck!

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

As far as Ontario goes, you would be required to obtain Certification if you wanted to teach in any publicly funded school. You could teach in a Private school without certification but may struggle to get hired.

https://www.oct.ca/becoming-a-teache...cated-teachers

Thinking outside of the box, you may want to see which Province has the easiest Certification procedure, obtain Certification in that Province - and then under the Mobility Rules you could then obtain Certification in your Province of choice.

Under the labour mobility provisions of the CFTA, workers who are certified and in good standing in one jurisdiction in Canada can apply to other Canadian jurisdictions where the occupation is regulated without having to re-examine, retrain, retest or have their qualifications reassessed.

You can read more on these links (for Alberta in this case):
https://work.alberta.ca/labour/labou...in-canada.html
https://work.alberta.ca/labour/get-y...ecognized.html


Just a thought! :D

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

The teaching profession can be difficult ..................... if you get certified by the College of Teachers in one province, that certification will be recognised in another BUT you are likely to have to go to the bottom of the seniority listing. That means being put on the Teacher On Call (TOC) list, and teachers may remain on that list unfortunately for years.

We discovered this when my son-i-l looked at moving to BC a few years ago.

This does not occur is if you have been recruited or hired as a result of an advertised position, but then the College has to be satisfied that there is not a member in the province who is just as qualified as the one who is moving.

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

Canada like most developed countries is self-sufficient in teachers.

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

Yes, that's a given. I know quite a few cradles with Certification as a teacher, who haven't even tried to move Province, who have been on the stand by temp list for years.

However, this was about initial Certification as an Internationally Trained Teacher and the potential to obtain it in one Province and then move to the one where you actually hope to permanently reside. Not about just moving for the sake of it, lol. The OP will likely need Certification to even obtain a job in his chosen profession and some Provinces are sometimes a little easier to apply to than others.

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

Re: UK teaching quals in Canada
 

Yes, and going to the bottom of seniority means being the first on the list to go if any redundancies are made, so even if the teacher only has a few years of seniority, it's still a safer place than moving and being at the bottom of the seniority list. The same applies to moving to a new board of education within the same province. So it's best to go where you want to be, get whatever you are currently qualified for such as a teaching assistant or second-language teacher in a private language institute, and then take whatever courses they say you need to get certified as a full teacher in that place and work your way up.