EIGHTY Jamaicans will this Christmas take up jobs as licensed practical nurses in Canada.

The job offers follow the completion of their training as licensed practical nurses at the Pre-University School, located on the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies, and come at a time when Jamaica’s unemployment is over 12 per cent.

“According to director, Ronald Robinson, the 80 practical nurses are tapping into the projected market for 100,000 health workers in Canada by 2012,” said a release from the school.

Newly graduated practical nurses typically earn CAN$27 to $39 per hour, or not less than CAN$60,000 per annum, excluding overtime earnings.

Canadian job placement expert Professor Michael Patterson noted that the need for practical nurses in Canada continues to grow because of the aging population. Alberta, where most of the 80 practical nurses will be placed, is one of several provinces that Patterson said have a great need for their services. He cited figures showing that, despite the annual training of 1,200 practical nurses by two of the largest public training institutions in Alberta, the province is still short by 400 each year.

Patterson, who is marketing manager at the Canadian job placement firm, Marmicmon Integrated Marketing Communications, described the partnership with the Pre-University School as a “brokered programme” with the participants being students of two institutions, one in Jamaica and the other in Canada — NorQuest College in Alberta.

“Their employment potential in Canada has been enhanced because their certificates will bear the insignia of NorQuest College,” he said in the release.

Each Pre-University-trained practical nurse has been awarded a temporary licence with conditions, including:

* completing 500 hours of on-the-job orientation; and

* passing national exams held only in Canada in January, May and September.

The nurses have to be employed before they can write the national exam. Depending on when they arrive in Canada, they will write the national exam at its first sitting.

“They leave Jamaica on a work permit. When they land in Canada they have a temporary licence that allows them to go straight into work. They are allowed to work up to a year on that temporary license, and then they must write their final exam to get their permanent license before that year is up,” said the job placement agent. “They can’t get an employment contract for a period longer than the term of their temporary license, which is one year and subject to renewal. Once you pass the exam you receive a full license. Of course, one has to do continuing education to maintain the licence.”

Robinson said the partnership with Marmicmon is offering Jamaicans “an opportunity to improve their quality of life”.

“They can take along their spouses and, because the nurses are skilled workers, they can pursue residency status in Canada,” he noted.