How to Get a Job as Caregiver in Canada
November 19, 2009
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You heard the news: caregiver jobs are in boom in Canada this time. So how can you get a slice of that cake? Here’s how.
STEP 1: Get Yourself a Training Certificate
The only way for your application for a caregiver job to get noticed is to have a Caregiver Training Certificate from a registered Training Provider. This will usually last from 6 months (lecture) to 7 mos (with OJT). Check first with The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA, the government agency that regulates skills development in the Philippines, if the training center you are eyeing is registered with them. If not, steer clear because the training certificate they will be issuing you won’t be accepted in the Canadian Embassy.
STEP 2: Have Yourself Assessed
Literally millions of people are applying for a Caregiver job in Canada right this minute and a training certificate is just the first step for you to get noticed. To make you more qualified, you should get yourself assessed. An Assessment is a written and practical exam wherein your knowledge and skills in Caregiver techniques will be gauged. A National Certificate will be issued to you after you passed both exams. This will serve as your license. Again, TESDA is the government agency in charge of this testing and certification.
STEP 3: Have Your Papers Authenticated
Because a lot of fly by night schools are emerging in the country today, the Canadian Embassy has required all documents to be autheticated by the government agency in charge of giving the certificates. So to have this done, go the the nearest TESDA. Submit your training certificate, transcript of records and copy of the special order number they issued your school to have your papers verified and authenticated. TESDA will then pass the authentication certificate to DFA to have your papers blue ribboned, another requirement by the Canadian Embassy.
Sometimes to really check if TESDA really issued the Authentication, the Canadian Embassy will write to them verify if the papers are really from them. That is how strict the Canadian Embassy is. So don’t think you can take the short way and just buy a training certificate which is being sold in some areas in Manila. Getting caught will instantly ban you from entering Canada for a long time.
STEP 4: Network
Now that you have everything in order, it’s time to network! Put yourself out there so you can find the nest caregiver job suited for you. Tell everybody who can help you that you are looking for a caregiver job and you have everything in order and in time someone will point you in the right direction. You will land your caregiver job in no time!
Scams Caregiver Aspirants Should be Aware Of
November 12, 2009
The boom of the Caregiver Industry has not only gave birth to new jobs but to new scams as well. Read on to become aware of what you should beware of in getting to your dreams of becoming a caregiver.
Fly By Night Schools
Since the Canadian and US Embassy have mandated that caregivers entering their territories have a diploma to show that they are professionals, Caregiver Schools have prolifirated everywhere around the globe. Unfortunately, most of them are fly by night schools just taking advantage of people. A fly by night school is a school that has no proper permit to operate and once they are policed by the proper government agency governing them they will simply just pack up their bags and transfer to another location so that they can avoid registering their programs.
Why are fly by night schools dangerous?
1. The diploma you will get from these schools will not be honored by the US and Canadian Embassy. So that is not just wasted money but also time and effort.
2. They don’t teach the proper skills thus if ever you get to Canada or US under a different visa and managed to find work there, you may be putting your charges at risk since you don’t really know the proper procedure of care and operations of household equipment
So how can you avoid getting duped by this fly by night caregiver schools? Always ask for their Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA -for Philippines) Registration Permit before enrolling. But since permits can also be faked, you may also call the TESDA office that has jurisdiction over the school you are eyeing and ask for the program registration number of the school.
Illegal Caregiver and Nanny Recruiters
A lot of people are now claiming that they have relatives in Canada or in the US and that they can sneek a caregiver aspirant into the country by pretending that their relatives will hire them so that they say be issued a work visa. But once in Canada, the person must look for a real employer. In order to avail of this privilege, one must pay the relative of this “employer” in Canada a hefty amount ranging from P40,000-P100,000. Since a direct caregiver employer is hard to find, a lot of people are biting into this scam. But that’s what it is just is, a scam. So never get duped by this modus. Think of it this way: if they can really do that, why are they not starting with their own relatives, right? But if you take this risk anyway, you should at least see an LMO from the prospective employer before handing your money.
Illegal Recruiters or Agencies
These are agencies that have no permit from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA). Before an agency can send people abroad, they must first get accreditation from POEA. Upon registration, that’s the time that they can use the work order they have from their partners abroad. To avoid being duped by agencies who have no legal papers, check POEA’s listings.
And before you pay any fees, you MUST see the LMO from the prospective employer.
If they have accreditation they should be on the list. Also, be weary of agencies that ask for fees since the policy nowadays is that your placement fee will be paid through salary deduction. It is now illegal in Canada for any recruiters or placement agencies to collect recruitment fees.
Additional info:
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/philippines/visas/working-travailler.aspx?lang=eng
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