G’days ahead for nurses
Countries with aging populations will continue to need Filipino nurses and health care workers, and Australia is emerging as one of the fastest gateways for employment, apart from offering higher rates than employers in Canada or New Zealand, a visa consultancy firm said.
In an interview with reporters last Saturday, Enhance Visa managing director Eden Dumont said that nursing graduates with at least three months of paid or unpaid experience can find a career in Australia.
However, since there are differences in the nursing practice in the Philippines and Australia, Filipino nurses are required to enroll in bridging courses or health care classes first, spanning at least a year, before they can take the nursing board exam there.
“One of Australia’s problems in recent years is that it is losing most of its professionals to retirement and we need more health care workers to meet the demands of an aging population,” said registered migration agent Vikram Sharma during the Australian nursing expo at the Radisson Blu Hotel.
According to the Australian Federal Employment Department, health care and social assistance jobs are projected to increase by almost 800,000 by year 2025.
Sharma, who is also president of Lawson College, said that Filipinos in health care training programs make up 80 percent of their current enrolment. The school, which has a partnership with Enhance Visa for three years now, has sent over 50 Filipino nurses to Australia.
The cost of education in Australia for health care courses ranges from $10,000 to $40,000. Sharma estimates there are roughly 8,000 Filipinos at present pursuing professional education in Australia, across various fields.
Lawson College also offers business courses, as Australian employers find more value in nurses with management backgrounds, added Sharma.
Based on online salary, benefits and compensation information company Payscale, a registered nurse in Australia earns an average wage of AU$31.23 per hour or approximately P1,230, while nurses in Canada are paid on average C$32.86 per hour or roughly P1,235. Nurses in New Zealand make NZ$26.51 or P900 per hour, on average.
In the Philippines, however, they are paid on average P13,000 per month or approximately P70 per hour.