Laura Baker, a recruiter from the United Kingdom, talks to educations students at Nipissing University. Photo by Bill Tremblay, Special to BayToday.ca.
Laura Baker, a recruiter from the United Kingdom, talks to educations students at Nipissing University. Photo by Bill Tremblay, Special to BayToday.ca.
School boards from around the world gathered at Nipissing University Friday to scout new teachers, and there was no shortage of possible recruits.
Education students took advantage of the chance to find out what teaching abroad would be like.
The recruiting countries included South Korea, England, Scotland, and Australia.
“Nipissing has an excellent teacher training program,” said Laura Baker, recruitment manager for the UK.
“(Nipissing) students are open to the idea of going overseas, and are willing to make that transition."
Baker explained that there are large number of Nipissing students already teaching abroad, and more are expected.
The students are teaching in cities such as Kent, Dover and Birmingham.
“We have 20 coming over to do a teaching placement in February,” Baker said.
Canadian students who take jobs in the UK fit in and enjoy working in a foreign country, Baker said.
“There’s a Canadian up there that’s been invited by her employer to go and shear sheep."
Baker said that students who take a job in the UK can also enjoy the benefit of making 23,500 pounds a year, the equivalent of a third-year teacher in Canada.
Shane Finnie, director of Canadian Connection, explained that teaching in South Korea is the chance of a lifetime.
“My first day of elementary school, I signed autographs for hours,” Finnie said.
Finnie taught in South Korea for three years at private and public schools as well as universities.
“Sometimes you really feel like your part of the community,” Finnie said.
If students chose to teach in South Korea, the program will pay for their airfare and their accommodations.
Finnie said that Nipissing University is a great place to scout for new teachers.
“There’s a lot of success and interest in northern schools,” Finnie said.
Although people may suffer culture shock when going to a country as different as South Korea, Finnie happily sets your mind at rest.
