missapps

hi, i am new to this site and after hours trailing through the international forum on TES british site, i logged into thsi link.
now even more wary about relocating to Perth to teach.
i have 3 yrs primary experience and 4 yr degree, thought that it would be relatively easy to get a job in australia with this qulaification and experience-WRONG!!!
wow, is there anyone out there positive about relocation from britain to australia?
money seems worse, previous experience irrelevant and jobs seem non-existent!
HELP- please reinstate my enthuisiasm for moving to austarlai my dream since i qulaified as teacher 3yrs ago!!
now depressed!!
laura x

hereshoping

If it's truly your dream then go for it. But it is a long complicated process and their are no guarentees.

if you don't mind living in rural areas to start with then you will find it much easier to get a job and build up ozzie work experience.

good luck

missapps

Thank you for replying. It is truly my dream but been scared by all of the information ive read on here. i understand it is a long process but thought it would be ok once that was sorted. (paper work) now not really sure about the teaching parts. maybe i can be a bar maid in australia instead?!! Seems silly to waste 7 years teaching experience, but not sure i can handle all that rejection! I have to get a job in a specific area of perth because i have family that i will be living with, therefore cannot pick and choose which rural areas i can be in. also being new to the country scared of rural areas and lack of social life to make new friends.

Dont want a lot do i?!

Thanks for your help though, really appreciate it.
Laura x

WS

Yes thats a good plan - use your qualifications and work experience to try and get a visa.

Then you should be able to find casual work whilst you get registered with the State Education Department etc and try and find a teaching job.

Are you able to get a skilled visa? Can you get the required points? You are unlikely to get employer sponsored or state sponsored unless you are prepared to work in regional areas.

Good luck.

Australia_bound?

Hi Again Laura

Try looking for work now! you may fall on your feet, I know a few Teachers who've got work prior to going.

Yes can be very hard to secure work, can't disagree with you there. Could end up doing relief work for a long time and quiet often only jobs available are where no one would really want to live given the choice. Not sure how things operate in Perth sorry, so can't really advise on there. We're very fortunate that my Auntie is a Primary Teacher in Melbourne so will guide us along the correct lines.

We face many of the same issues, but consider the gamble worth it, as don't have much to lose. Don't own a home in UK (so won't be spending years to save deposit),most of family in UK is going to Aus and already have loads of family out there..

If you really want it you'll go for it. Life is about risks, you take them or you don't only you know in your heart what you want. Bristol is not the worst place you could live and Australia is not the eutopia that some make it out to be!

Good luck
Paul

missapps

Hello WS99,
thanks for you time and patience.
Yes i am able to get both a skilled visa and the other route, not sure what it is called. All i know is that i passed the test thing online and got 155 points?
I am prepared to do whatever it takes, but ideally as i said before want part of perth where i could live with family initially to make friends!
all seems so easy when you speak to more experienced teachers in my school and on supply who did it 15 years ago, but times have drastically changed!
so am i correct in saying that my steps are:

1) get skills assessed by NOOSR or whoever and pay for it.
2) pay for visa now that i have enough points- skilled worker right one?
3) register for the state education department? not sure how to do that - so do i register with WACOT? the perth state, or is it general state edcuation, Australia as a whole?
4) then once all paperwork is sorted- should hopefully get an identitity number? to apply to independent schools directly online via a CV/equivalent to personal statement UK?
think im gonna be sick, so much to do, and i feel so unsure of how!!
Oh well us teachers are used to challenges of the utmost kind, like asking my yr 5 troublesome child to put down that chair and stop aiming for my head!!!
Thanks again everyone, i REALY APPRECIATE every reply!
Laura x

missapps

Thanks again Paul, you are a superstar!
ARe presently looking at your link, will let you know how i get on x

saoghalbeag

Hey Laura, don't stress! I've been wanting to move from Oz to Scotland for years and years and even though I've managed to have 3 fantastic years living there, I'm now back in Oz and STILL trying to get to have my dream of living in Scotland come true...sometimes it just takes time!

Each state/territory in Australia has it's own Education Dept and teacher registration system. A number of them (WA included) have reciprocal agreements with regards to registration (ie: if you're registered in WA it will count in Qld and other places as well, including NZ without having to go through the whole process again. That's if you end up moving about).

Don't stress about having to work in remote areas: I promise you that those places will most likely be where you make the best/longest lasting mates.

Perhaps you could think about spending a few months in Perth with your family, working some supply, or a short term contract, getting your feet on the ground (and learning how to handle the heat!) then venturing a bit further afield?

Regarding your registration: I've looked at teaching in WA on and off but as I'm already Qld registered haven't been too fussed. You'll need to get in touch with WACOT - email them your specifics and see what they say. Try to get all your paperwork organised asap.

I don't have the exact sites as I go to:

http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/aussi...employment.htm

which has links to all the job/education dept related sites for every state/territory in Australia. Includes Catholic and Independent school job sites as well. There's a link there for WACOT and the state school jobs in WA. I emailed them earlier this year about jobs in WA and they got back to me within days for a school in a rural area but still a big town. Didn't end up going as I got a job back over here but they must be looking for teachers who are willing to head out of Perth?

Best of luck, post again if you have more questions! Don't be afraid to leave Bristol: get out of there if you can! We stayed in Gloucester once with a mate from Bristol and it was bad enough!!

M-S (Pict in TES: too nervous to post there at mo as there's a crazy poster in there who keeps harrassing me! Going to have to change my username which makes me )

WS

Missapps:


1) get skills assessed by NOOSR or whoever and pay for it. Yes, www.teachingaustralia.edu.au now do the teaching skills assessment ($300)

2) pay for visa now that i have enough points- skilled worker right one? As not MODL, will take about 6-9 months to process.

3) register for the state education department? not sure how to do that - so do i register with WACOT? the perth state, or is it general state edcuation, Australia as a whole? You have to register with WACOT first, and can only do this when you have the right to work to Australia (a skilled visa or Working holiday visa!). Then you register with the WA Dept of Education.

4) then once all paperwork is sorted- should hopefully get an identitity number? to apply to independent schools directly online via a CV/equivalent to personal statement UK? Yes

Also feel free to pm me as I'm heading to Perth next year and plan to teach!

Good luck!

foxall22

Hi there,

I have been in WA for nearly 2 months and am teaching.
Once you've got your visa, submit your application to register to teach with WACOT. They will do as much as they can, and once you arrive in Perth you have to go in and sign something to get your Aussie criminal records check processing. This takes about 2 weeks.

Read the WACOT forms carefully, it's a lot that you need to send, things like academic transcripts, certificates of everything etc.

Once you've completed your WACOT membership, you are eligible to teach in private schools.

To work for the state, you need to register with them. This means lots more forms! They use the criminal check that WACOT did, and you have to participate in an entry and orientation program. This is 3 days of workshops, 10 days of teaching, an interview and a presentation. Then you get the magical ID number and can teach in state schools.

IF you do work for the state, you need a statement of service to recognise your previous experience, and then you enter on the (poor) salary scale accordingly.

I also have 3 years experience. At the moment I'm 'in between' WACOT and my state registration, so have done supply in private schools. My orientation program starts in January.

Regarding finding work, I am not in Perth but Bunbury and there has been plenty of relief work. To be fair, there are a LOT of jobs advertised as well.
For independent schools you just reply to their ad on AISWA website or in newspaper.
For state schools, you either get 'placed' in a school where you've said you'd be willing to teach, or you apply for the 'merit-selection' jobs advertised on the department's website. Around 25% of public schools advertise this way, and the number is growing.

There are a lot of hoops to jump through, and the pay is worse, but if like me you can't imagine not teaching, then all is not lost!!

Hope this helps,

Gemma

missapps

dear matildaskye,
THANKS SO MUCH ANOTHER POSITIVE THREAD IS SO HELPFUL!!!!
I like your idea of doing supply untili get used to the heat, that sounds like a really good idea!
and yes bristol is good for a social life and i could climb the career ladder relatively easily, my school already offering me mangaement opportunities but Australia has and always will be my dream-(prob not when i get there~!|)
I am currently in the midst of completing my skills assessment liek WS(( has helpfully advised, but not quite sure of all the documentation i need to include- i.e. do they want to know about GSCEs and A levels too?
there are lots of sections i do not understand too.
I have tried to email WACOT directly but no reply yet, i suppose with it being xmas they're gonna be busy so i have to be patient!
What if i fill in the skills assessment form wrong by mistake, e.g. not include relevent info, will they charge me still and make me do it again?
im such a worrier which is why i havent taken that jump yet!
Alos if i pay for my visa to register with WACOT, does it matter when i move to australia? cant officially get there til after july 07 cos my contract in bristol doesnt end til then?
Thanks for all the help again, feel so much better, have smile and optimism for xmas now!
P.s. Merry xmas to all thread senders on here, you all deserve one hell of a vodka!!!
Laura xxx

missapps

hello again, another very helpful person, merry xmas to you and family!
What does MODL mean? and what site have you looked at recently where the skills assessment is only 300$? ive looked and its $450! serves me right for not doing it sooner!
will it really take 6-9 months to process visa? am i doing it right if ive completed it online and now have it saved with password etc ready to pay when im ready? also, if i ay for my visa and skills test (after xmas obviously!) does it matter when i eventually end up in australia? e.g pay for it jan, not get to australia til oct 07?
sorry more questions but you all seem to understand my lack of knowledge and have been there before!
Please kerep in touch til you go to perth would love to hear about your adventures from the real inside!! oh also what does 'pm' me mean?
Thanks again and merry xmas xx

missapps

Hi Gemma, thanks again for replying, was hoping to hear from you as you seem to have done exactly what ive been aimimg to do by speaking to all these teachers on this site!
And yes like i cant imagine not teaching but admit to losing help once i had read all the negaitive views on here! serving beers definitely became an appeal, but i hear you need qualifications for that too in australia- what a clever country!! cant wait to get there!!!
Have you got friends/family in WA?
or didi you just jump that jump and go on your own? and how are you finding making friends etc?
I would stay with family i dont know very well at all! and then maybe move with a job to shared accommodation? not really sure of what or how so am very scared, but willing to do this as it will be worth it for the experince.
I'd love to keep in contact with you just to keep informed and ask more questions when problems arise!!!
hope thats ok. This family atht im talking about are over here for xmas were meeting them at the airport xmas eve, so should be a little more informaed about WA ways etc. hopefully they can help with my silly questions too!!
Anyway im sure youve had enough of me now. thanks again, really appreciative of evryones time and advise!!!
Cheers and merry christmas
Laura xxx

WS

Missapps,

MODL is Migration Occupation in Demand, if your job is on the list (and teachers aren't) they process your visa slightly quicker.

Sorry, skills assessment with NOOSR was $300, teachingaustralia is now $450, duh!!!

Evidence you need is here: http://www.teachingaustralia.edu.au/ta/go/home/pid/440

Realistically, skills assessment is 2 months from posting, application 7-9 months including assurance of support interviews by your sponsor etc, so you won't get your visa until about Oct/Nov 2007 at the earliest.

(PM is private message)