Applying for the NET Scheme

HKNewBi · 24-11-2005, 12:50 AM

Hello list

I have a friend who is a teacher in the UK and is considering moving to HK to find work.

Obviously him and his wife have no work permits (having only visited HK once in the past) and have given me a long list of questions.

I was looking at the EMB government website for Native English Teachers (NET) Scheme advice and it suggested he has to be an English teacher or have a year's english teaching experience before he can apply (he is a science teacher).

I have spoken to some teachers here on the NET scheme and they have suggested this isn't actually a problem. I was also told you can apply and have the interview in the UK.

Has anyone here have any experience of all this? Also any ideas of what salary expectations he should have? Can his wife, once in HK, easily find a job (and hence work permit)?

He is a secondary school teacher in the UK with 2 years teaching experience (although he was a Civil Engineer before that). Given all that, is the NET scheme his best approach to securing employment in HK?

So many questions, sorry, but if you can shed any light on this very grateful as hours of looking at HK Govt websites have left me more than a little confused.

dezza · 19-02-2006, 01:16 AM

to answer your question: yes, he can easily get a job with the NET scheme. they are desperate for teachers as they are trying to get one NET teacher in every schooL (some schools share their NETs with another school).

as for his wife getting a job permit, that is a bit tougher, usually to get a job permit you have to get a job arranged prior to arrival in HK. it's a major sticking point with couples where 1 spouse is employed in the NET scheme but the other can't get a work visa in HK. it may change in the future though.

have your friend check out my website: www.maskofchina.com/hk

or contact me for details on the interview process...

good luck!

ksrnf · 19-02-2006, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by HKNewBi:

Hello list

I have a friend who is a teacher in the UK and is considering moving to HK to find work.

Obviously him and his wife have no work permits (having only visited HK once in the past) and have given me a long list of questions.

I was looking at the EMB government website for Native English Teachers (NET) Scheme advice and it suggested he has to be an English teacher or have a year's english teaching experience before he can apply (he is a science teacher).

I have spoken to some teachers here on the NET scheme and they have suggested this isn't actually a problem. I was also told you can apply and have the interview in the UK.

Has anyone here have any experience of all this? Also any ideas of what salary expectations he should have? Can his wife, once in HK, easily find a job (and hence work permit)?

He is a secondary school teacher in the UK with 2 years teaching experience (although he was a Civil Engineer before that). Given all that, is the NET scheme his best approach to securing employment in HK?

So many questions, sorry, but if you can shed any light on this very grateful as hours of looking at HK Govt websites have left me more than a little confused.

What does your friend have 2 years of teaching experience in?
One of the government's minimum requirement for a secondary NET is a year's teaching experience in English to secondary schools.
http://www.emb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeid=1301&langno=1

Regarding the wage here....it's crap. I know how much teacher's get paid in the UK and i'm afraid your friend will have to accept a hugely reduced wage if he wants to teach here. As it says in the gov website above, Seconday teachers with a PGDE start on $18,000. As your friend has two years teaching experience (if in English) he would start off around $20,000. Thats only about 1500 quid a month.

HKNewBi · 20-02-2006, 02:05 AM

He teaches Design & Technology and other 'hands on' subjects. I did read the requirement to have taught english, but I met a NET teacher here who successfully applied for the scheme despite not meeting this requirement!

Nice website btw.

Raiqi · 20-02-2006, 07:34 AM

The NET scheme isn't that bad a deal if you can stand the paper work behind it and get a good school. Like all jobs, if you get placed in a bad one then you are in for a nasty couple of years.
They pay doesn't sound to good at the beginning but considering that they pay 10 - 13 K a month for housing/living expenses ontop of your wages they the pay starts to sound a bit better. Compared with the UK it is always going to be better because of the low tax rate. So far, I haven't met any NETS that had complants about the pay.
The problem with the NET scheme comes when you get here and find that you have a demanding school that wants all your weekends and just won't let you rest. But you could have a school like that anywhere (maybe not the weekends but definatel the demanding bit...) so it boils down to just doing anough research to try and ensure that this doesn't happen.
on a side not, if your friend's wife comes to HK on a dependancy visa it is much easier to find a job and get sponsorship as the process for sponsoring a dependant is somewhat easier and less demanding than sponsoring someone from the beginning.
Hope this helps!