MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands: Chilean students to specialize in English living and working in the Islands

MLA Elsby representing the Falklands Education Department recently signed an MOU with the Chilean British University in Santiago, Chile.

Students from Chile are seeking work in both the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) and the private sector, including in Camp. Falklands' lawmaker MLA Barry Elsby said the students will have a good level of English when they arrive and will not need any formal English tuition.

 They will also be able to do translation work should it be required. The Education Department, on behalf of FIG, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Chilean British University in Santiago, Chile.

The university is accredited by many universities in the UK, including Oxford and Cambridge, and hosts their Spanish language students. They specialize in teaching English to Chilean students who wish to be translators, interpreters or to work in any number of careers where fluency in English is essential.

The MOU will enable the University to send a small number of their students to the Falklands each year to improve their English, each student spending between one and three months here.

MLA Elsby said the University will cover the costs of flights and insurance and employers would be asked to pay a token wage of approximately £250 per month.

“Discussions are ongoing with the Immigration Department as to the need for work permits, but it is clear that these students will not take employment that would otherwise be offered to residents,” he added.

Employers would be asked to provide accommodation, ideally with families, but as this is a government initiative, FIG might be able to help if contractor accommodation was available for that month.

A representative from the University will be visiting the Islands in early February in order to meet and discuss placements with possible employers, with the first students due to arrive in November/ December 2017.

If you are interested in learning more about the scheme, or to meet with the University representative contact MLA Barry Elsby. (Penguin News).