beckiwoo

Thanks but unfortunately I feel slightly defeated even before the first hurdle.

If it was a problem with my lack of experience that would not be a problem, I could volunteer or do bank work but they do want a years college diploma and even though my 'NVQ' is known as a 'Level 3 Diploma' it's not the same as theirs.

I'm just not sure how I am going to do this academically as I am single so I can't live on a partners wages when I come out there to study plus I don't think my visa allows studying - so it's work or nothing.

That said I have been told by some people that British social care has a good reputation in BC so as long as my references are excellent and I promote myself well - who knows

Clematis

I would hate to put you off your idea, but in Ontario I could not find a way in at all. I needed to go back to college which could've cost up to $20k, a lot more expensive as I was classed as an international student. This does not include the cost of text books $700 roughly. I would've found it incredibly hard to work at the same time, which would have been another cost to consider.

Your other training is very unlikely to be recognised in BC, it just does not work that way. You will need police checks, Hep B, and First Aid, that's just a start.

I ended up working as a cashier at Canadian Tire, then managed to get a much better job in an office, which I hated,

In the UK you can do care work with no experience and do on the job training, in Canada you have to have the bit of paper to get the job, there is no way round this situation , even for voluntary work you could have issues.

You said you had a friend out there doing this type of work, doing what and what qualifications does she have?

beckiwoo

The police check I have been informed they apply for
Like here in the UK. I will be going out with a UK police check as well

I am going for a medical and will be having Hep b and hep c test

I am surprised you have said I won't be able to get a voluntary job. If I can't even get that then what's the point in doing this. I cannot return to the UK and carrying this work on without at least showing I had kept my work experience in this area even through voluntary work. On top of not getting a job in Canada I will struggle back in the UK without relevant ongoing experience.

This individual has said that first aid (1 day course) will help. I believe they work in adult care but I'm unsure if they have degree or anything.

I've heard British social workers are struggling out there to secure jobs so I'm already feeling very deflated about all this.

ExKiwilass

by 'adult care' do they mean home health care? that's a quite low wage job here too - but a lot of immigrants do it as a foot in the door.

You have to understand you are competing with Canadian grads, with canadian studies and experience, for all the jobs you want - incl. the volunteer jobs. I have a friend who graduated with a counselling masters last year, it has even been a struggle for her.

Again, would you consider nannying?

beckiwoo

I'm not sure what they do, it may be they have a related degree and are in a good job because if it.

The moving2canada website has a link to GOvolunteer.ca so I'll check that out. Even if I'm doing stuff like helping the homeless or anything - there has to be volunteer opportunities somewhere that are not in demand where I can meet contacts and network- I'm sure you dont need a college degree to be a Marshall in a charity run? - then again I could be wrong...

I'm not someone that is fussy about work and I'm equally not someone that can just sit on my behind all day doing nothing so whether it be paid work or volunteer work at a homeless shelter or food distribution I don't care.

Yes you did mention nannying before, a work colleague had also given me a company to use (can't remember it's name so I'll have to ask again) that she worked for when she was out there. However you said that the nannys usually have degrees and masters etc. My degree is in graphic design. I can explain to them clearly how and why I came to work with children and youths and I can do this well but it's not going to change the fact my degree is unrelated.

Unfortunately graphic design is not an option as I have been out of industry since 2008 and am not up on the new adobe creative suite packages, but hey if someone wants a promotional flyer or birthday invitations doing - I'm there!

Trying to look on bright side but I don't want to find after 3 months I have to come home and not through lack of trying either to secure something.

ExKiwilass

for nannying I don't think they'll care what your degree is in, just that you have one and that you have passed criminal checks, like kids etc.

Siouxie

If you go to the lower mainland, there are over 200 nanny/parent helper jobs (including some in Vancouver itself).



http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/rep...rce=3#job_opps

This one is for a live-out nanny, $18 an hour, N.Vancouver - through this company.

Edited to say, I just saw that on the title for this thread you have put "Alberta" - so you probably would need to look here: http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/rep...abs_container2 538 positions in Calgary, 426 in Edmonton.

beckiwoo

Thank you both, I'll check them out and see what's involved.

Alberta and Calgary is now my back up plan if things don't work out in BC. I like the fact BC has the semi skilled stream route for certain occupations for PNP which Alberta doesn't (?)

christmasoompa

Yes it does - http://www.albertacanada.com/immigra...-criteria.aspx

HTH.

scot47

Social Work/Youth Work/Care Work are culturally specific and working in one society in this field does not move well over international boundaries !

dbd33

That's interesting and may, at last, be a clue to what culture posters think exists in Canada. In what way would Youth Work/Care Work be different between, say, Basildon and Mississauga?

Social Work I can see, that's all about navigating bureaucracy and there will be differences in benefits and allowances between jurisdictions. Shitting babies, moody teenagers, shitting seniors though, isn't this all the same? It's all people at their worst and all English speaking people at their worst.

beckiwoo

Oh ok so like BC food and beverage servers are eligible for PNP in AB after 9 months of full time work?

Although I can see they are no longer taking applications for this anymore

Siouxie

No you are misreading it. They have stopped the additional allocative initiative, not the program itself.
** it's the same for all the semi-skilled streams, this is just an example of one section.

Englishmaple

Beckie what you have to understand (and I didn't until I moved here) is that in Canada the right credentials really matter - if it's not Canadian then you basically have to start all over again for most things (not all but most). On top of that, you will encounter issues like "no Canadian experience" which basically means they won't hire you until you get experience ... and usually means taking a survival job on minimum wage - which is tough. The social services field in particular is very hard (I think) to break into unless you are doing personal support worker work - and even then you need a PSW qualification (that stands for Personal Support Worker).

One of the lovely things about Canada is that there is a lot of volunteering ... one of the downsides of that is that (I think) much work that should be done by paid employees is done through volunteering.

As well, it really matters here who you know - if you're not known to the people within the organisation it can be really really tough to get work.

The big difference I would also say is that while English employers will look at your skills and see the potential you have to offer to the post on offer, Canadian employers want to see that you have the exact skills and experience for the post on offer - they don't have as much of a training culture here ... so if you don't fit exactly into the tight little box that they have in mind in terms of the skills and experience required to do the work (as well as the right credentials) then it can be really really tough.

I hate to sound so negative but my experience in Ontario has been really difficult. I completed my third degree (I have 2 from UK) last year - got a Bachelor of Social Work with distinction. I cannot for the life of me get a job at the moment - and the work that is on offer is mostly poorly paid contract/casual/temporary work. And a lot of the jobs are asking for a Masters in Social Work which I cannot afford to take and have no desire to take. Yesterday I went for a job interview and all the questions were framed around an expectation that I would have all the experience already to do the job - and as well they were worded in such a way that it was clear that they already have somebody in mind for the job - but they have to advertise and interview to show due process in terms of the way the job procedure has been done ... it was most disheartening.

So I'm sure you're NVQ and you're experience are worth something but if you come to Canada don't expect employers here to value it ..

Lychee

You're coming here on a temp working visa, correct? There are thousands of people who come to BC every year and do the exact same thing, mind you, the majority of them aren't pursuing careers, but are working as a way to experience Canada as a tourist. Often people on temp working visas work service industry jobs, or they work in seasonal tourism jobs, especially at ski resorts. A friend of mine, aged 30 (Australian) has been on a similar work visa for the past 6 months, and has been working at UBC (local Vancouver university) as a temp. I don't think it's a lost cause, necessarily, although I don't think these holiday working visas are often used as a stepping stone for a career in Canada, especially if it's a highly regulated profession.