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ESLstarter-ETF Program under Colombia Ministry of Education
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bluebonnet



Joined: 05 Oct 2009
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 8:55 pm    Post subject: ESLstarter-ETF Program under Colombia Ministry of Education Reply with quote

Can someone give me an idea about this program for entry into Colombia or is it better to come in and hit the ground looking? I have no experience in Colombia, but I am educated, know spanish, and already have experience teaching TEFL. The pay (1,500,000 month) seems low, but it does come with some initial accomodation, and insurance. It seems like it wouldn't be bad for a start in the country.

I've searched in this forum but haven't seen much posted. maybe i'm using the wrong search terms.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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currentaffairs



Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828

PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

1.5 mil plus accommodation doesn't seem bad as a way in. If they won't pay for your accommodation for the duration of your contract then I would look elsewhere..
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D. Amokachi



Joined: 15 Oct 2014
Posts: 60

PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

While I don't know anything about this particular programme, I have dealt with ESL Starter and they were extremely professional and helpful.
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bluebonnet



Joined: 05 Oct 2009
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks for the insight. yeah the free accomodation is only for the first month and unfortunately you don't get to choose your city either. I guess it isn't the best deal but maybe for a 6 month term it wouldn't be bad and it could provide contacts down the road.
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wanderingxelmundo



Joined: 25 Mar 2015
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are different organizations recruiting for these positions. If you search for Greenheart travel, SENA, heartforchange (or heart4change?) or simply "education" in the Colombia forum you will find some info. Greenheart Travel has a FB group you could join if you're on FB. Current participants obviously aren't going to say very bad things about it, but you may see some questions and answers that are useful.

You have basically laid out the pros and the cons. The pay is bad, but you would have something already set before leaving whatever country you're in now, and the first 6 weeks' accommodation is already paid (2 weeks orientation plus 4 weeks at destination). They also pay for and provide a visa, and pay for local health insurance, though they require you to have some sort of major medical for big emergencies. They pay a 500,000 peso bonus for completing the program. In my opinion there's no reason to do this in Bogota unless you have such limited savings that you really want that cushion, since there are apparently many jobs in Bogota, but if you want to experience another location where the costs and typical pay are less and where it might be harder to find work, this might be a good option. Another reason to do it is if you have no experience with high school age students, for example, and wanted to do it for that reason. One reason that appeals to me is that I wouldn't be teaching only the upper middle class and above, and corporate students, but would be helping regular Colombians. Anyway, there are numerous reasons to choose to do it, but pay isn't one of them!

They have 5- or 11-month courses -- the 5-month doesn't sound like a bad idea to get going in a new country, but with Spanish and experience it certainly isn't necessary.
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currentaffairs



Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828

PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

To provide a comparison: I was offered 2 mil pesos a month at a decent Colegio in Cali. No accommodation offered. The 5-month contract sounds like a pretty good deal if you only have 3 months of rent to find. It will give you time to find work and make contacts.

I actually did something similar when I went to Japan. I worked for Westgate on a 3-month contract. The organisation and pay was quite crappy but it got me into the country with a one-year work visa. I had time to find work and I ended up staying for six years.


Last edited by currentaffairs on Sat Oct 31, 2015 8:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Guy Courchesne



Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City

PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 8:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I met someone in Bogota earlier this month working under this program...mixed review. The pay was low, but the teacher's expectations weren't very high either. The work is in a technical college with little materials but again, little expectation.
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wanderingxelmundo



Joined: 25 Mar 2015
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 10:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, I'm sure in Bogota the pay seems especially poor since Bogota is so much more expensive, and there are other possibilities.

There are two jobs -- one is in technical colleges, and the other is in public schools (I think just high schools), where you're technically a TA, but to a Colombian teacher who would typically have a pretty low level of English her/himself. They ask you which you prefer. In both cases the students would normally never have an opportunity to have a native speaker as a teacher, which like I said, for me is a plus, but the situations might be frustrating for others because of lack of supplies and support etc. (I have applied and been accepted -- not surprising since I speak Spanish, have experience and have lived in Colombia), but I haven't decided whether to accept it or not. I'm not even sure if I'm returning to Colombia or to Ecuador.

This past year they had a separate program run/funded by the government of Antioquia (but not in Medellin -- in smaller cities and towns) called parques educativos. The pay is a bit more (1.7 million with same perks plus 100,000 monthly for materials) and it involves more responsibility and therefore it seemed a bit more interesting. It involves teaching not only community members but also Colombian English teachers. The government of Antioquia hasn't confirmed anything for this coming year, but heartforchange expects they will have the program again. That pay along with the perks isn't too bad for those more rural locations in Antioquia.

http://www.heartforchange.org/index.php/es/programas/the-english-at-the-park-volunteer-program-epv/what-is-the-program-about
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General Disarray



Joined: 23 Jun 2010
Posts: 58
Location: Kent

PostPosted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 8:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would love to move to Colombia for a year after visiting and registered an interest in this so to speak...

Too many drawbacks for me though; the low pay, paying for my airplane tickets, paying for an application fee, paying for insurance, no guarantee of where you're going to be teaching.

I think it's a good deal for the short term contract as a way into Colombia. A good deal for new teachers with virtually no experience..

The pay is way too low though, What they pay in a month is less than what I'd get in England in a week, it'd make more sense to work for 10 weeks then go travelling.

They replied to me though saying all the short term contracts are taken and they only have long term ones left so they don't really any need to up the wage as I reckon the lure of living in Colombia outweighs the wages for most people!!
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wanderingxelmundo



Joined: 25 Mar 2015
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 10:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know what ESL Starter charges, but generally I don't think there's an application fee. I believe there's a $400 deposit to confirm your place that you get paid back at the end of your contract (this isn't when you apply but when you get accepted). The downside with that is that they calculate it in pesos and you get refunded the pesos amount, and the peso has been fluctuating quite a bit lately. A year ago 1.5 million was close to $750 and now it's around $500.

Generally the only jobs that pay airfare in Latin America are the top tier international schools which require a K-12 teaching license. The British Council is another exception for their contracted teachers but I'm sure they have a long waiting list for Colombia which is a popular destination these days. They had a separate program in Medellin for hourly or short contracts but the listing is gone; maybe they'll have more openings. It was for UK passport holders only because of the type of visa. They and listed it on TEFL.com (I'm sure that didn't pay airfare, though I'm sure it was more than $1.5 million FTE).

If you compare the pay to what you could make back home even the best jobs in Latin America will fail the test. However, this program is officially a volunteer program, so it's definitely not going to be the most you can make.

The fact that they won't tell you where you're being placed until after paying the $400 and possibly not until you arrive in Colombia is another downside for me, too.
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Guy Courchesne



Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City

PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2015 5:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
If you compare the pay to what you could make back home even the best jobs in Latin America will fail the test.


Very true, every time.

Take in account the cost of living when making decisions like this for Latin America.
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General Disarray



Joined: 23 Jun 2010
Posts: 58
Location: Kent

PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm aware of all that, but most people are probably applying for this just for the lure of living in Colombia. I'd prefer to work 8 weeks in England at minimum wage and have the money to travel around Colombia for 4 months, compared to being told where you have to live...at bottom rate wages. I suppose there is making a difference and all that but that lure of teaching was long lost on me a while ago!!

I asked a Colombian friend about living conditions with the pay and his face told me everything I needed to know!!! I also remember when I was there, I met an Irish guy who just landed a job in a school at 3million pesos a month in Bogota, with no qualifications or experience!!

It's a good job for new teachers, and given what I was recently told by one of the companies they aren't short of interest so there's no need to raise the wages.

I suppose one of the plus points is that apparently nearly every Friday there is always interruptions to classes Very Happy
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currentaffairs



Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828

PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2015 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think most language schools/institutes would pay around 2-2.5 million pesos a month. But, you would often be teaching crappy hours and split shifts are common - like 8am-12 midday and 6pm-10pm or something.

At least if you work in a high school you will be working from about 7.30am-3.30pm and you are done for the day.
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wanderingxelmundo



Joined: 25 Mar 2015
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 7:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

General Disarray wrote:
I'm aware of all that, but most people are probably applying for this just for the lure of living in Colombia. I'd prefer to work 8 weeks in England at minimum wage and have the money to travel around Colombia for 4 months, compared to being told where you have to live...at bottom rate wages. I suppose there is making a difference and all that but that lure of teaching was long lost on me a while ago!!

I asked a Colombian friend about living conditions with the pay and his face told me everything I needed to know!!! I also remember when I was there, I met an Irish guy who just landed a job in a school at 3million pesos a month in Bogota, with no qualifications or experience!!

It's a good job for new teachers, and given what I was recently told by one of the companies they aren't short of interest so there's no need to raise the wages.

I suppose one of the plus points is that apparently nearly every Friday there is always interruptions to classes Very Happy


Since I'm in the US (Florida), I need to use the dollar and , though I know you're in the UK. In Florida, the minimum wage is $8.05 per hour. Times 40 hours per week times 4.2 weeks per month = $1352 per month (however, minimum wage jobs in the US generally don't come with paid holidays, so really it's less if you're going to have holidays off, and in Colombia there are at least twice as many federal holidays as the US which has very few). In pesos, that is currently a bit over 3.8 million, more than double the stipend we're talking about. Except that the costs are totally different too. After social security and medicare taxes, it's $1249. In South Florida, renting just a room is at least $600 per month. The "thrifty plan" for food is at least $170 per month. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/CostofFoodSep2015.pdf A one-month bus pass is $113. So after just minimum of taxes, very basic housing, very basic transportation, there's only $479 left, with (generally) no paid days off. If that's my pay I'd have subsidized health insurance, but if I actually got sick I'd have to pay something out of pocket. A few taxi rides, a few meals out per month and/or a car and all those expenses, and I'd be down to zero. So I'm not sure how a minimum wage job would enable me to live and travel for four months in even the cheapest of countries. Unless of course you're talking about someone who would be living with his/her parents in his/her home country without having to pay rent or groceries. That person might still prefer to live and work on their own in Colombia for 8 months rather than live with their parents in the US or UK four 4 months and then travel in Colombia for 4 months.

The experience of living and working in a country, even via this volunteer program, and traveling is very different. When you talk about "the lure of living in Colombia," that is not the "lure" of traveling. Theoretically most people who want to live and work in Latin America are looking for that experience.

The starting pay in Bogota is absolutely higher than 1.5 million pesos per month. However, someone isn't going to be working starting their first day, so you have to subtract time looking for work. A newbie isn't going to get a job that pays the visa, so that's another $230 (approx). Most jobs don't pay housing, so there's that 6 weeks housing that's free in this program. Those newbie jobs don't pay health care. So even in Bogota, the difference isn't as big as it seems, though on a purely financial basis, it's still probably better to arrive and knock on doors if the goal is to live in Bogota. I don't know where your Colombian friend lives, or what their lifestyle is. In Pereira, for example, 1.5 million pesos isn't that different from what one could get paid knocking on doors, if one could even find a job. One could live alone in a one bedroom, pay for groceries, transportation, and buses, and still have plenty left over for fun, frequent taxis, bus transportation around Colombia, etc. The program pays all expenses for two weeks in Bogota for training/orientation, then travel to destination city. So for someone who wants to experience living somewhere outside Bogota, it's a pretty good deal. My Colombian friends in Medellin say even there I could live well off of 1.5 million even living alone in a studio or 1 bedroom. Renting a room is even cheaper.

Anyway, I'm not defending or promoting this program since I don't know it personally. It has various pros and cons, and the pay, especially in Bogota, is definitely not a pro. However, the way you're looking at it financially in terms of comparing with the UK just doesn't make much sense to me. The pay is always going to be less in Latin America, but the expenses are also lower. And the expenses are lower for what in some ways is a higher standard of living, while in some ways it is more simple. For example, taking taxis is significantly cheaper, hiring a weekly housekeeper is possible while that would not be affordable in the US, as is having a hair stylist come to your house to cut and dye your hair, having someone (a taxi driver) go to the store and pick up a six pack for you if you're feeling lazy or it's rainy (being able to get everything a domicilio is easy to get used to!) etc. etc., but there are some amenities we may be used to at home that are much more expensive in Latin America comparatively.

Most people here are interested in teaching EFL because of the opportunity to live abroad, but many are also drawn to the job because we like teaching. That's the other problem with your example of work for minimum wage in the UK / US then travel. A minimum wage job in the US probably isn't going to be anything I enjoy. I could possibly get work teaching ESL for a private institute for up to $16/ hour teaching. But I wouldn't be able to get more than 20 hours per week, and still wouldn't get holiday pay, and I'd have to spend some time planning on top of the 20 hours. So I don't see how that's preferable to doing it in Colombia if living abroad and practicing Spanish and experiencing a different culture and lifestyle are the reasons I want to go to Colombia in the first place.
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G22



Joined: 25 Oct 2010
Posts: 89

PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2015 1:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

1.5 million a month is a joke and the value of the peso has steadily been declining.
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