Job Discussion Forums

[The Menace]

Hi All,
Can anyone comment on IACC, they seem to be recruiting for public schools.

I am a certified High School teacher with teaching experience in China, looking for a teaching position at a middle or high school in Taiwan.

When, how, who, where????

Comments, suggestions...

Thanks

[matchstick_man]

Read the Job Information Journal and shudder.

[clark.w.griswald]

It is a shame that these positions are availble through such a poor recruiter. I doubt that they are the only recruiters who are able to offer these positions, but it seems a shame that the government didn't first check on the history of this particular company. One of the reasons that they were likely chosen to participate in the scheme is that they are one of the few licenced recruitment companies - most are not licenced recruiters to the best of my knowledge.

I echo the sentiments of the previous poster. If it is a choice between walking away from the program or dealing with IACC I would have to say walking away should be the only choice that you entertain.

Having said that, I am sure that dealing with IACC is not the only way to secure one of these positions. They were being offered through both the British and Canadian trade offices so you might want to contact them for advice. You may be able to apply to directly through the MOE or they may just steer you back to IACC.

One of the semi-regular posters on this board is curretly working within this government initiative. Any words of advice Xenophobe?

[Xenophobe]

Try going to the CEC Network website. They are looking for those with B.Ed degrees from Canada and the UK. They are looking to screen another batch of teachers for October or there abouts. We are part of a group of about 15 who arrived here on the 12th. The only people we have dealt with are those from the MOE. Some teachers were already here but most, including my wife and I, came direct from Canada. Now, we are all freezing in Taipei County, but will be shipping out to our respective schools later this week, which happens to be on Kinmen for us.

[clark.w.griswald]

Thanks Xenophobe. That's useful information that should help to keep some people away from IACC.

Here is the link to the CEC Network before anyone asks.

I note on the site that you provided that the positions are only available to Canadian passport holders. As I mentioned before, British nationals are also able to take advantage of the program and I assume that you could contact your Taiwan representative office for this information.

A couple of the original stipulations of the plan that were included to appease concerns that these positions would threaten the jobs of local English teachers, appear to have gone by the wayside. The first is that according to Xenophobe some of the teachers are local hires. The MOE was always adamant that the teachers would only be employed from overseas. The second involves the contract term. Initially, the MOE was stating that it would be a fixed one year, non-renewable term. Now it appears that the contracts would be renewable. These points don't rubbish the plan of course, but question whether the initial plan was really well thought out.

[The Menace]

Thanks guys,
Good suggestion, and since I�m Canadian with teaching experience in China with a BC teaching certificate, CEC could be a good way to go.
However, I�m not sure that I would want to spend my first year in Taiwan in a rural or island community. I was thinking more of Taipei or another large city.

Do you think showing up in Taipei with CV in hand and knocking on doors looking for work at government or private schools would be worthwhile? If so, when would be a good time?

I�ve done the TEFL school gig and I think I would prefer the prospect of teaching at a regular school.

Comments and suggestion??

Thanks again

[Xenophobe]

Not all of the positions are in 'rural' Taiwan. We chose Kinmen because we had spent five years in Kaohsiung and wanted a quieter and cleaner locale, this time around. Other teachers are headed to Chai'yi, Taitung, Tainan, Hsinchu as well as Kaohsiung County, Penghu, to name a few.

[The Menace]

Thanks Xen,
I think I'll fire off my resume and see what happens.

cheers