Nurses find career and their dreams in UK

MANILA, Philippines - To most Filipinos, education is the key to a better life. Stories abound about families that sell off their possessions or become buried neck-deep in debt to be able to send their children to universities in urban centers. Wide-eyed youths start out very hopeful, choosing a course that can help them land a good job once they graduate. But after years of spending hard-earned money and sleepless nights to finish college, they wind up in dead-end jobs that do not maximize their potential — that is, if they are lucky enough to find work. Worse, they begin to give up and believe that they will never be able to attain their dreams.

Sometimes, the solution lies beyond the country’s borders. Especially since the start of the millennium, a growing number of Filipinos, particularly nursing-educated Pinoys have been discovering the United Kingdom, one of the world’s largest economies, as a choice destination for exploring exciting prospects. In response to the clamor of Filipinos who want to go to the United Kingdom, Toronto-based company Edukopolis provides “a pathway to a life of endless possibilities and opportunities” in the United Kingdom through the edU.K. program.

Like forward-thinking Filipinos, Edukopolis believes in the power of education and employment to bring about positive change in people’s lives. (Position, name of executive) says, “We believe in preparing people for a better life and the only way we can do that is to provide them the means to acquire an education that is globally competitive and an education that expands their connections and their appreciation of the global market.”

Specializing in work-based study programs abroad, the company was initially established to bring Canadian education to the world via its UCAN program. Now for the first time, according to Ernesto Hiansen, President of Edukopolis International, “is offering an opportunity for nursing graduates — whether or not they passed the nursing board, and especially those who are not yet employed but with a desire to go overseas — to study and work in the United Kingdom and acquire international work credentials, which will open up an array of options for them once they complete the program, including migrating to other countries or returning to the Philippines”.

Pinoys are acquainted with the UK through its lead role in the industrial revolution, its famous monarchy, the music of the Beatles, the writings of Shakespeare, and even through the stay of Jose Rizal there. The diversity of culture, the English language, and the cosmopolitan air in the United Kingdom make it an ideal place for Filipinos who are eager to pursue the career of their dreams. And with a successful Pinoy community in the United Kingdom that supports outreach programs, projects for youth and students, and the promotion of Filipino culture, it is easy to envision a thriving life there.

Edukopolis maintains a representative office at the heart of the Makati Business District. It has partner institutions in Jakarta and Toronto, and plans to establish satellite partner organizations in other parts of Asia in the coming years.