Job Discussion Forums

[Seibu]

How will the mass exodus of teachers leaving Nova and Japan effect the ESL industry in Asia....if at all?

I have this image of hundreds of ESL instructors arriving in places like Vietnam, Thailand and Korea looking for gigs.

[Rooster_2006]

[Seibu]

Something else to consider is that - if this closing holds true - how will this effect the dispersal of entry visas into Japan?

Nova used to be the easiest way of obtaining entry into Japan. I had at one time considered arriving sans visa, looking, landing a job, and then awaiting the 2 month approval process...but eventually decided against it.

Entering Japan may have just become more of a challenge.

[southofreality]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

I don't think post-Nova will be all that much different from now. The other eikaiwa chans will definately be 1. making sure that their asses are covered, and 2. building up business as fast as they can- to snap up those former Nova students (too bad many of them no longer have any spare money for English lessons wince Nova took it all from them). There will probably be an immeditate dip in the amount that eikaiwa instructors are paid and of course with the market flooded it will be a first (blond hair blued eyed person) comes first situation amongst those with similar experience and educational background level.

I think many or most of the Nova teachers will end up leaving Japan because so many have no experience outside of Nova, Japanese language ability, contacts, or qualifications in teaching English.

Of course, this is assuming Nova doesn't start up again in a month let all the people who've already paid continue, rehire the majority of their staff and basically pretend that it never really happened.

I think just judging by this web site alone, Korea could give jobs to every English instructor who lost their job at Nova and still wants another one within a month or two.

[Patrique]

Is it possible that the Nova disaster will result in less applicants to the other big companies at their overseas recruiting centres? People, need I say, don't think rationally and might be scared off by this news. Like when there were a few cases of SARS here in Toronto in 2003, and our entire tourism industry collapsed despite there being no danger at all.

More likely I'm just full of it

[gaijinalways]

It will put off some people from coming to Japan, as being stranded in a foreign company by a badly managed company that gives no warning of heading to bankruptcy is no picnic. Others will try and screen who they will work for, but this is difficult sometimes, especially if you've never been to Japan and have not much knowledge of the language teaching industry here.

[AgentMulderUK]

I suspect it will almost no effect whatever. Just some short-term reshuffling of teachers and customers..ahem I mean students.

People come here as first timers with no idea which company is good/bad or even about the farcical language industry here. Also it is doubtful that anything at all of Nova's demise reached overseas newsrooms. It's irrelevant elsewhere.

Nova was but one of several large companies. It is of little consequence if just one company in a whole industry of large companies fails. Their passing will be missed by few and mourned by even less.

[gaijinalways]

But NOVA had 50% of the eikaiwa market. Not a small ripple in the market by any means. that and they were the largest employer of foreigners in Japan.

[southofreality]

[Tiger Beer]

[Apsara]

[AgentMulderUK]

Yes but unfortunately the BBC new source quoted was the international news department, intended for use for nationals living abroad, or those with vested interesteds in that part of this world. It is NOT mainstream news.

I note with interest about Australia. I suppose as Australia is closer to Japan it would have more of an impact. But I would be surprised if you can tell me that the story lasted more than 1 day?

The business with embassies helping ex-workers is a local problem, and not international.

Phone home and ask you parents, you aunt, your old office mates. You think they ever head of Nova? Not.


As for Nova having 50% of the market, that is an utterly absurd figure. Even if such a figure was calculable, it's way off. Take a look at the values of ECC, GEOS, etc. Doesn' take an economist to figure out that Nova were a major player, but empasis on the word "a".

If ECC and Aeon,etc were so small how come they have offered to buy out Nova. Does that spell it out?

And also consider the eikawa market is only one part of the language teaching system in Japan as a whole. How about the none-eikawa businesses, school, various other pirivate institutions?

Amusingly, if Nova had 50% of the market with its "huge" army of 4000 teachers... that leaves the other 50% for other schools and presumably another 4000 teachers nationwide. I think you will find there is way way more than 4000 eikawa teachers here

Seems like some people on this forum are thinking that the world is focused on where they are currently. Think again.

Even when it was all over forums for months what arses Nova are, and which way they are going, people still came. Even a cursory internet search would have warned them.

[southofreality]

[gaijinalways]