Keralite nursing professionals are expected to find placements easily as the number of jobs are set to increase world over in the coming years.

Hundreds of new vacancies for nurses are expected in Germany alone in the coming years. Meanwhile, more than 8,500 nursing graduates qualify every year in Kerala.

DEFA, the German government agency for International Healthcare Professionals, will directly appoint 500 nurses this year through Kerala Government's Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants or ODEPC in short. Those selected will receive a monthly salary equivalent to Rs 1.36-1.63 lakh. Free coaching is also provided to learn the German language. The monthly stipend is equivalent to Rs 10,000. Nurses clearing the B2 level in the German language test in the first attempt will receive a prize of Euro 400. All expenses will be met by the German agency.

“Nurses from India will receive the same pay and benefits as German nationals,” said Thorson Keyfer, executive director of DEFA.

The ODEPC advantage

ODEPC is active in recruiting nurses to countries such as the UK, Belgium and Germany and in the Gulf region. During the last three years, ODEPC has arranged jobs for 600 nurses to the UK alone. ODPEC also sent nurses to Belgium after teaching them Dutch. Currently, ODPEC is recruiting nursing personnel to Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Germany.

A major advantage for nurses applying through ODPEC is the government guarantee it offers.

“Ninety-percent of the countries in Europe recruit nurses free of any charges. ODPEC allows nurses to travel abroad only after they learn the language of those countries and acquiring the necessary qualifications. Hospitals in foreign countries also encourage such a recruitment process,” said K A Anoop, Managing Director of ODPEC.

Triple win offer from NORKA

NORKA-ROOTS, another Kerala Government agency, also recruits nurses for jobs abroad. For this purpose, it is conducting a ‘Triple Win’ programme along with German Federal Employment Agency and German Agency for International Cooperation. The first batch of nurses has completed training in German language under the programme and the training for the second batch has started now.

NORKA-ROOTS is also recruiting 600 nurses to the UK. Of them, 35 nurses who could not clear the language tests would be appointed as senior carers under the NHS.

Meanwhile, the agency is engaged in discussions to appoint nurses from Kerala in Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada and Finland.

A NORKA Institute of Foreign Languages has started functioning in Thiruvananthapuram, where training in English and German is offered. Similar institutes will be opened in Kozhikode and Kottayam also soon.

"Recruitments through the NORKA are being carried out in accordance with the agreements struck with the governments of foreign countries. This helps candidates seek employment in foreign countries directly, without any intermediaries. The priority is on bringing down the cost and time involved in this process and the same has helped in the creation of an eco-system favourable for migration," said its CEO Harikrishnan Namboothiri.

Pay nothing for a posting in the US, UK

Incidentally, nurses seeking employment in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) hospitals need not make any payment for appointments. Even though some private agencies are also assigned to recruit nurses, in addition to government bodies, all the expenses for recruitment are met by the NHS. Fees for IELTS and OET also would be refunded.

NHS will also spend the money for visa and flight tickets to the UK, accommodation for the first three months, bus travel and food.

The entire expenses for OSCE - a practical examination which has to be cleared for becoming a registered nurse in the UK - too will be met by NHS.

Apart from the UK, a similar recruitment process takes place in the USA, Canada, Ireland and Germany.

This is the third of the series on opportunities for nurses abroad. Read : Part 1 - Opportunities galore as Kerala nurses head to Europe

Part 2 - Numerous opportunities for nurses abroad but how to avoid pitfalls in recruitment!