Are you in the last year of your undergraduate or post graduate studies and interested in an employment-ready Australian program? We can assist you through the following processes:
1. Professional Year Programs
Professional Year (PY) programs are introduced to solve skills shortages in the workforce. These programs are designed to increase the employment rate for recently graduated international students in specific areas of professional competence.
The main programs are grouped under the broad classification of the Skilled Migration Internship Program. You will find opportunities in 3 streams – Accounting, Engineering and Information Technology (IT). The available programs are offered by a number of educational institutions that ISA Migration and Education Agents has arrangements with, to enable us to help you understand your options and streamline your application process. The programs are:
- Skilled Migration Internship Program – Accounting (SMIPA), supported by the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
- Australian Computer Society (ACS) Professional Year Program, developed and supported by the Australian Computer Society
- Engineers Australia’s Professional Year in Engineering Program, developed by Engineering Education Australia (EEA)
A typical professional year course is comprised of a 44-week program, and the content covers detailed training in terms of business communication, enterprise cultures, workplace knowledge and specialised skills. It provides a 12-week Work Integrated Learning experience in the fields of accounting, IT or engineering, which is a unique opportunity to get involved in a real Australian business environment.
Participants qualified for the Program may also be eligible for 5-point credits for their Permanent Residency application under the Skilled Migration Program through the Department of Home Affairs.
The Professional Year Program provides 3 streams: Accounting / IT / Engineering. To qualify for the program a candidate must:
- Have completed an Australian undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a relevant field of study
- Hold or have applied for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) with at least 12 months validity; or
- Hold an eligible Secondary Visa with work and study rights with at least 12 months validity
- Provide evidence of English language proficiency (IELTS 6.0 with no band less than 6.0 for the accounting stream; IELTS 6.0 with no band less than 5.0 for IT / Engineering stream)
- Provide a valid skills assessment from a relevant professional association
2. NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters)
There are a number of ways in which achieving a NAATI accreditation can help international students wishing to migrate to Australia:
- Through a skills assessment (only open to those who have been sponsored by an employer, or nominated by a state or territory government)
- By allowing them to claim points for certain qualifications obtained overseas, or for skilled employment as a translator or interpreter, which may be used towards a points-based migration visa
- By allowing them to claim Credentialled Community Language (CCL) points, which may be used towards a points-based migration visa (for examples refer to NAATI website). Many students who successfully complete and apply for NAATI accreditation are able to claim Credentialled Community Language points
Entry requirements
To be considersed for the NAATI program, applicants must:
- Have satisfactorily completed Year 12 of secondary education or its equivalent, or have appropriate and relevant experience; and
- Have an IELTS result of 5.5 with a minimum score of 6 in the speaking and listening component; or
- Have completed an EAP (English For Academic Purposes) program at upper intermediate level or equivalent; or
- Be able to demonstrate vocational proficiency through an entry examination, consisting of two dialogues in a paraprofessional level interpreting test. Students will have to achieve 50 per cent or higher in order to be admitted into the program.
Pathways from the qualification
After achieving this qualification, applicants may undertake the Advanced Diploma of Translating and/or the Advanced Diploma of Interpreting qualifications. Programs in higher education may be possible from this diploma upon approval from each individual university.
3. Internships
An internship is a job training for white collar and professional careers. Internships for professional careers are similar in the way apprenticeships are for professions, trade and vocational jobs. However, the lack of standardisation and oversight leaves the term open to broad interpretation. Interns may be college or university students, high school students, or postgraduate adults. These positions may be paid or unpaid and are usually temporary.
Generally, an internship consists of an exchange of services for experience between the student and an organisation. Students can also use an internship to determine if they have an interest in a particular career, to create a network of contacts, or to gain school credit. Some interns find permanent, paid employment with the organisations for which they worked with upon completion of the internship. This can be of significant benefit to the employer, as experienced interns often need little or no training when they begin regular employment. Unlike a trainee program, employment at the completion of an internship is not guaranteed.
These are important and sometimes complex matters. Contact ISA Migration and Education Agents for further assistance in your professional pathway journey.