INFORMATION

You can find a range of information about work and study opportunities, as well as explanations of the education and employment systems in the UK.

Employment sectors and job opportunities - ARC specialises in jobs in the Health Care and IT sectors. It also offer opportunities for graduate internships in the Hospitality sector.

LATEST NEWS

Changes to the legislation on working while on a student visa.

There are many international students working in the care sector in the UK under the terms of the current student visa arrangements. Many wish to transfer at the end of their studies to a work visa, and ARC can assist you in that process. Please complete the enquiry form below, if you need advice or assistance in converting to a work visa.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Application forms - There is a standard application form available here

Employment Information - You can find a range of general information about work and study opportunities, as well as explanations of the education and employment systems in the UK at https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk

Employment sectors and job opportunities - ARC specialises in jobs in the Health Care and IT sectors and our advisers can help you with any information you may need. We also offer advice on graduate internships in the IT and Hospitality sectors. Please contact us at admin@arcinternational.co.uk or complete the enquiry form. For further information online on job opportunities in the health care sector, you can access information at www.healthcareers.nhs.uk

HEALTHCARE

There are major labour shortages in all medical and health care fields in the UK and Ireland. Depending on your educational and training background you can choose from jobs in a variety of different areas of the health care sector.

The UK health care system is divided into primary health care – front line services in the community ie. General Practice surgeries, Health Visitors, District Nurses in the community etc - and hospitals. However we also have a social care system which runs alongside and often overlaps with the health care system. Social care refers to the provision for residential and community care for all people who are unable to look after themselves. Primarily the elderly, but also those with mental health and/or physical disabilities of some description.

Health Care in the UK is primarily provided for the National Health Service (NHS) and is free to British citizens. About 7% of Health care is provided privately for those who can afford it and want to getter faster access to treatment. Social care, on the other hand is primarily in the private sector, especially care for the elderly. The government provides for those who are less well off and cannot afford the costs of private health care.

In the UK the majority of available jobs for international applicants are with care for the elderly. These jobs will be in care homes which vary in size between 20 and 200 residents approx. However there is an increasing demand for domiciliary care workers, that is community based carers who provide support in a person’s home. This also applies to support living for adults with mental health or learning disabilities. Supporting people to be independent in their own home is seen as far more efficient and desirable, and the government is investing in this area of care.

Information Technology

The UK has a vibrant and developing IT sector, and is a world leader in many fields. For the international worker, there are vacancies in specialist skills areas, and it is possible for an employer to take on an someone, but the process will depend on the applicant’s skills and experience and then matching to a job opportunity that an employer is having difficulty filling through local recruitment. It is expensive for an employer to sponsor someone from overseas, so the job has to be right. Our adviser at ARC have extensive experience of finding job opportunities for IT graduates so all you need to do is contact us, using the enquiry form, for a confidential chat without obligation.

VISA REGULATIONS IN THE UK

Health and Social Care

Candidates wishing to come to the UK to work will apply for a work visa. There are two categories which covers the work in health and social care – 6145 and 6146. 6145 covers application for general care work and 6146 is for more specialist and high level work. 6146 requires a higher level of prior education and experience. However, both are eligible routes to work in the care sector in the UK.

ARC India office will be responsible for the processing of the visa, and they will assist in guiding the candidate to provide all the necessary information. They will advise on which visa category to apply to. Essential requirements in order to get a visa include:

Accurate evidence of relevant qualifications and experience
Clean police record
A sufficient level of English competence
A current Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
Adequate funds to support onself in the UK for at least 6 months
Payment of the AIEP and visa fees.

The visa will be applied for once the candidate has completed Stage 1 of the AIEP and received their CoS letter. Visa application timescales may vary but should not take longer than 3 weeks.

ACADEMIC STRUCTURE IN THE UK

The education system in England and Wales (Scotland has some differences) is based on four stages of learning – Primary 5-11; Secondary 11-16; Further – Vocational 16-19; Higher 18-23. There are assessments throughout this process, the main ones being at 16 – GCSEs – and 18 – A levels which are academic and BTECs. The A level/BTEC exams determine entry to higher education at university If students don’t want to go to university but follow a vocational route, they can carry on with their education at a further education college.

For further information, go to: www.studying-in-uk.org/uk-education-system-guide

QUALIFICATIONS

A-levels, like GCSEs, follow a two-year program and there are two components to them: full A-levels and half AS-levels. Generally, A-levels comprise of 6 modules, and an AS-level has 3 modules.

VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

For students who are not so academically minded, they still have the option to further their education by studying a vocational course that will provide them with a more hands on experience and education.

In the UK most undergraduate degree programs take three years to finish. However, the “sandwich course” is increasing in popularity, which is four years and involves one year in the workplace (normally in your third year). In Scotland the courses are four years for undergraduate programs.

Graduate or Masters programs are generally shorter in length and undertaken after completion of an undergraduate programme. Some professional degrees like medicine have longer programmes that can take as long as five years.

NURSING & HEALTHCARE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE UK

Health Care is an important job so there are training and qualification requirements to get into this field of work at whatever level. We can explain the system as a matrix with types of care at one axis and the levels on the other. The types of care are many and varied. As a nurse, you can specialise in children, adult, mental health, disability etc., in a hospital or in the community. On the other axis there are different levels based on your prior education level. So up to degree there are three levels of practical Health and Social Care apprenticeships or work based training which lead to different jobs as a health care support worker. A nurse training is at degree level and can be taken on to a postgraduate specialism.

Most private sector care homes employ Health Care Assistants who are trained at sub-degree level, normally Level 2 or 3. There are also Senior Health Assistants who must be Level 3 but can also be nurses qualified to degree level. The majority of Registered Nurses – degree level work in the NHS.