Australian firm to open 50 centres to train nurses

Health Careers International (HCI), an Australian provider of education, on Tuesday said it would open 50 centres in India, starting with Kerala, to train nurses.

The first such centre will be opened in Kochi in February next year and will offer a one-year post-graduate diploma course in nursing, Bijo Kunnumpurath, CEO and MD of Melbourne-based HCI, told reporters here.

Equipped with state-of-the-art teaching aids, the centre will admit working nurses who will be required to attend classes once a fortnight, he said.

HCI's courses are recognised not just in Australia, but also in Europe, the Middle East and Canada, each of which would offer numerous job opportunities to those who complete the training, said Kunnumpurath.

"In Australia alone, in the coming years, more than a lakh of vacancies are going to come up."

The one-year post-graduate diploma in nursing will have an annual fees of about $4,000 Australian dollars, but the student will need to do a three-month bridging course in Australia if they want a job there.

The same course, Kunnumpurath said, costs $16,000 in Australia.

The bridging course to be taken in Australia will cost $10,000. It was not required, however, for those who would like to work in the Middle East or in South East Asia.

"All students who pass out from our Australian centres find jobs as soon as they finish the course and are employed with a minimum annual salary starting at $60,000."

He said HCI's courses were now a part of the Australian Trade Commission which visits various countries for promoting the country's commercial interests.

HCI is in discussions with private nursing colleges in India to start its centres in partnership with them.