Filipino teachers open training center for Aussie job prospects

CEBU, Philippines — Australia-based Filipino educators are opening a training center in Cebu to help more Filipinos fill Australia’s massive nursing and caregiving shortage.

EduX Training Center, which will be on June 2024, will provide multiple training and review programs such as the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for nurses to land jobs, particularly in Australia, and other countries.

In an interview with EduX Training Center chief executive officer (CEO) Prince Lopez, he said the shortage of caregivers and nursing professionals in Australia prompted the group to open a training center here, in partnership with Australian institutions to accelerate job processing for nursing and caregiving professionals to work in Australia.

Research conducted by Health Workforce Australia (HWA) showed that, due to the aging workforce and many other factors, there could be a shortfall of more than 100,000 nurses by 2025, and 123,000 by 2030.

Lopez said the current average entry-level salary for nurses in Australia would pegged at an average of P270 thousand a month.

NCLEX is the world’s premier licensure examination and uses computerized adaptive testing technology, ensuring a reliable measurement of nursing competence.

OSCE, on the other hand, is a clinical examination to assess the candidate’s knowledge, skills, and competence as a graduate-level nurse or midwife from an Australian NMBA-approved program study.

The Cebu EduX Training Center, Lopez said will provide a comprehensive review of these two important examinations to assure Filipino nurses of easy access to overseas job opportunities, especially in Australia.

Aside from nurses, EduX Training Center also provides reviews for caregiving professionals to get professional certifications recognized in Australia, like the Certificate III in Individual Ageing Support.

Although Certificate III is an Australian-recognized certificate, it is also recognized worldwide, Lopez said.

“This is an Australian qualification delivered in the Philippines, of which graduates will gain leverage in terms of applying for international caregiving jobs,” Lopez explained.

This specific review program enables Filipino caregivers to achieve professional recognition in Australia upon passing the examination, advancing them into roles as nursing assistant professionals.

According to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), care homes are being forced to close because owners cannot find skilled staff to meet staffing requirements. Australia faces a shortage of at least 110,000 aged care workers by 2030.

Lopez mentioned that the review program provided by the new center is meticulously designed to equip candidates with comprehensive knowledge, ensuring they can pass the examinations.

“Our OSCE review [for instance] differs from other providers because we have a two-week boot camp in Australia,” Lopez said.

Other services offered by the center include; Job Ready Programs, IELTS/PTE (International English Language Testing System/Pearson Test of English) Review, Professional Development Short Courses, and Personal Development Short Courses.

Lopez is also joined by educator partners namely Brenda Dore (chief operating officer), and academic directors Korene Abangan and Nick Zhang to grow its operations in Cebu and soon in other areas in the Philippines.

EduX Training Center, located at Krizia Building, Gorordo Avenue in Cebu City, is the first center opened by the group in the Philippines.