Hi again guys,

I had a very frustrating day yesterday, and thought I would tell you all about it:

After figuring that HGV driving will never be classed as a skill, and will probably never make it onto the LTSSL, we have to look at our other options. This means getting us PR through my line of work.... however, we have a problem.... I am a housewife and mother, and have been for around 8 years, so my last "experience" was 8 years ago and before... to add to that, I have no formal qualifications and made it through the ranks, from office junior to office manager.

After checking out the list of skills, office manager is on there... so far so good, but in order to have any chance I need to be offered a job, and I need to be educated to a "certain standard", or have X amount of years experience, which I am presuming they will want to be fairly recent. So, I have decided that the kids are probably old enough now to look after themselves for an hour or so after school, so I will get a job and chalk up some recent experience before we apply.... thing is, someone on another NZ forum says its very difficult to get PR based on experience alone so I decide that I will attend our local college to get the highest qualification I can, in the two year period we have set for ourselves to get over there.

I phoned the college yesterday, they do the course I reckon would help our application, which is a foundation degree in Business Management... she asks me what quals I already have.... basic GCSE, and not brilliant marks either (I was being rebellious ) and at that tells me that I do not qualify to be on the course... I tell her that on their website it states that mature students need not have any qualifications as long as an interest in the course is shown upon interview.... I also point out to her that in fact I will be paying full price for this course as the hubby earns too much to qualify for any kind of a reduction, so surely at over £3000 for both years, the risk is mine and not theirs.... I also told her that if I didn't think I was capable of doing the course, I wouldn't have enquired, but still she is unmoving... I eventually get her to agree to send me the course information, which will apparently be with me in the next few weeks, but she doesn't think my chances of even getting an interview with the course tutor is good.

Undeterred, I googled distance learning, and while the foundation degree is not available, a HNC in Business is... I double check the list of recognised qualifications and sure enough it states that a HNC awarded by BTEC is accepted in the following fields.... business being one of them, but as it is distance learning, would I need to get the qualification assessed by NZQA??

Does anyone have any other ideas of which possible route to take... do you think I am wasting money trying to get the qualification? Do you think we should just risk going over on a work visa?

Any comments and suggestions would be fantastic.

Karen xx

Hi Karen,

When we are ready to apply it will be hubby as principle applicant but just incase it would need to be me I looked into similar situation as you.

I am also an Office Manager and Company Secretary to an electrical contractor. I did not have any formal qualifications but had worked my way through the ranks over the years. I decided that the best way for me would be to do an NVQ4 in management (equivelant to HND) the cost for this varies but I paid approx 1K. The estimated completion time of the course is 1 year but depending on how quick and determined you are it is possible to complete it earlier. I completed it in 2 months (during evenings and weekends).

Sent everything off to NZQA and they assessed it as equivelant to a level 6 in their qualifications.

Hope this gives you an idea of what other routes you could look at.

Regards

Lynda

Hi Lynda,

I looked into NVQs but was told could not do them either because I don't have the lower level ones.

There is a course at our local evening college, which is a BTEC first in Business, Law and Legal, but from what I can gather that is not a higher education qualification, rather just on same level as GCSEs... but it definitely gives me more options to look into.... thanks

Karen xx

Hi Karen,

Don't know why you were told that you needed to have lower level NVQ's to be able to go for a Level 4 as this in incorrect!!!

I did not have any other qualifications and was still able to go straight for a Level 4.

Try going through a recognised training provider and not a college. Have a look at www.eal.org.uk. You might get a different answer from them.

Good Luck!

Lynda

Ooooh I could kiss ya I'll look into it some more and let ya know what I am able to find out.

Yer an absolute star, thanks ever so much.

Karen xx

Ok, so I've done a bit of digging and made a few phone calls.... my local college offers free tuition for adult learners studying for their first level 3 qualification , so I figure maybe I should take them up on this and do the Business NVQ3 to start... also, the same college offers an ILM Level 5 in Management... is this like an NVQ?? That can be done via distance learning, even though the college is not very far away.

Thanks once again for giving me some oomph back

Karen xx

Hi Karen,

Good news then!!!!

I would take them up on a level 3 qualification as I do know that you can't go straight in for a level 5 in management without having some foundation qualification or being presently employed at a senior level of management. I think this has something to do with the evidence that you would need to gather that would be required for this level which would be very difficult if you were not currently employed or have access to any of your previous Company Records.

A level 5 ILM I believe is the same as a level 5 NVQ. ILM stands for Institute of Leading Management and when you have passed at level 4 or 5 you can become a member of this organisation which would entitle you to have letters after your name.

I believe the level 3 NVQ would be equivalent to a BTEC.

Great to hear that you are finally getting somewhere.

Regards

Lynda