Au Pair in Brisbane

STUDY ENGLISH AT ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S BEST LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

ENGLISH COURSES IN AUSTRALIA

" It’s great fun having an au pair in our family. My house hasn’t been so organised and had such fun and laughter in it for a long time. This has been due to our having Marie living with us while she studies at the Queensland College of English Brisbane. Marie is our au pair. She is a 20 year old French girl who has endeared herself to us. She assists me by helping care for my two young boys aged 11 and 9, helping in the basic care of our household, child minding, preparing meals (which are great on those night when we come home tired and late after soccer training), taking my boys out bike riding and being involved in many other activities with them. We are learning about France while we introduce her to Australia. Her rapport with the boys is great.I treat Marie as a daughter, she has full access to our home and we all share in the tasks even all the homework! This has given me so much more time for myself. I think the au pair scheme is great and recommend it to families with young children."

Frank Gardiner
19 April, 2002

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It is cost effective to study English while completing a Diploma!
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Visit two GEOS colleges in Australia and New Zealand and receive a FREE domestic flight*
Visit two beautiful cities for the price of one*
English options include General English, TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge Exam Preparation
* The Superlink study programme is based on a minimum of 20 weeks English tuition (English options include General English, TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge Exam Preparation)

Please contact us to find out what courses we recommend.

Study and Travel in Australia

Our Au-Pair program is designed for international students aged between 18 and 30, who wish to work and live with an Australian family, while studying full-time (25 hours/per week) at GEOS QCE Brisbane for a minimum of 12 weeks.

Full-time courses available:

Intensive English (12 weeks minimum or combination)
Cambridge Exam Preparation (FCE, CAE, CPE) (12 week course)
March & September Cambridge Exam Preparation (FCE) (10 week course) *
January English for Business Purposes (10 week course) *
English for Academic Purposes (10 week course) *
IELTS Preparation Course (10 week course) *

* For courses less than 12 weeks, applicants must study Intensive English to make up the 12 weeks minimum.

To be eligible for the Au-Pair Program, applicants must comply with the following conditions:

Minimum 12 week stay as an Au-Pair
Minimum 12 week full-time study at GEOS QCE Brisbane
Intermediate or Advanced English Level (beginner/elementary level is not acceptable)
Aged between 18 - 30 years old
Demonstrated child care experience & household skills
Student or working holiday visa
Au-Pair placement fee = AU$ 250
Agree and sign the Conditions of Booking

The Au-Pair Program available is:

Students work for 12 hours per week for the family and receive accommodation and meals free of charge. (Conditions apply - refer to “Conditions of Booking”)
Au-Pair placement fee: AU$250

Guidelines for Au-Pair students

Introduction
The Au-Pair program is designed for students who want to work for and live with an Australian family. You must be between 18 and 30 years of age to apply for this program, and you must be prepared to study English for a minimum of 12 weeks full time. Please read the following conditions and information carefully.

The Au-Pair program
Working Hours: 12 hours per week organised by the family outside the student school hours. Hours will be flexible from week to week depending on the host families changing requirements. The host family and student must negotiate the hours of work; GEOS QCE Brisbane does not set them. You should work 2-3 hours per day, 5 days per week.
Free Time: weekends are usually free and at least one night during the week is free, provided that you have satisfactorily completed your duties for the week.
Board & Lodging: in exchange for 12 hours work per week, you will receive full board and lodging. This includes a room with a bed, desk, chair, desk light, wardrobe, and three meals a day (you have the option of taking your lunch with you to school).

Duties
You will be expected to assist with the housework and the children. You may be asked to wake the children, help them get dressed, give them breakfast and get them ready for school. In the evenings you may be asked to give the children supper and get them ready for bed.

You will be required to help with all the household tasks considered reasonable in a busy family home. This may include doing the housework (ironing, laundry, vacuuming, washing floors, dusting, cleaning toilets and bathrooms, washing-up after meals, loading/unloading the dishwasher), in addition to keeping your own room clean and tidy.

Length of Stay
The length of stay may depend on the length of your English course. The minimum period of time to work and study as an Au Pair is 12 weeks. Many host families prefer an Au Pair to join them for 3-6 months as it takes some time to settle into a family and to become accustomed to each other.

Termination of Placement
Please note that GEOS QCE Brisbane is not obliged to provide another family placement if you choose to leave the host family without a valid reason, nor if the family asks you to leave because of serious misconduct or because you do not have the necessary skills to carry out the required tasks. In the case of such termination, you will be responsible for finding and paying for your own accommodation and living expenses.

If you wish to cancel with valid reason, and require another Au Pair placement, you must give at least two weeks notice of cancellation to the Homestay Officer at GEOS QCE Brisbane. This is the same period required by the family to give notice to ask you to leave. GEOS QCE Brisbane will find alternative accommodation for this period, such as Homestay or Hostel, while finding a new Au Pair family for you. During this period you are required to pay for the alternative accommodation until a new Au Pair placement can be confirmed.

Trustworthiness and Responsibility
These are of vital importance. Having children in your care requires you to be alert, careful, and use common sense so that you can assume control of different day-to-day situations. Remember never to allow strangers into the house during the parents’ absence. Do not make long-distance calls without the permission of the family.

Hygiene
It is important to be neat and tidy - not only concerning your own personal hygiene, but also with the children. You are expected to keep your own area tidy. You may be expected to be awake, showered and dressed before the children are up. It is important to care enough about the children to help them brush their teeth, comb their hair, pick-up after themselves, and generally teach them good grooming habits.

Drugs & Alcohol
You must never consume alcohol or be under the influence of alcohol (or other drugs), when you are in charge of children. Failure to comply with this alcohol and drug guideline may result in you being asked to leave your host families home.

Smoking
The majority of the host families require non-smokers. If you are a smoker you must be prepared to smoke only outside or as designated by the host family. Host families are within their rights to ask you to leave their homes if you do not follow their rules.

Confidentiality
Please remember to keep the personal and business affairs of your host family confidential at all times.

Advice
Remember that life in your new country may seem a little different from home, so allow yourself some time to get accustomed to it. Be flexible. Do not wait to be asked to do things (offer and enquire if there is anything you can do to help). Discuss any problems or questions with your host family so that both you and the family are clear about what your duties are, and the time you spend doing them. Always be polite and remember to say "please" and "thank you" etc. Always arrive home at a time acceptable to the host family. If you believe that you will be late, please phone them to advise this.

Visa Conditions
There are 2 different acceptable types of visas for the au pair program: a Working Holiday Visa that allows full time or part time study for up to 12 weeks, or a Student Visa equal to course duration plus four weeks. Students on student visas must study full time (25 hours per week). This requires a strong commitment to study and work.

Australian Embassy staff will advise you of the visa application procedures and cost. They will also provide you with information about Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), which is required if you are applying for a Student Visa.

Level of English
All applicants need at least an intermediate level of English, sufficient to communicate with their families. This may require additional English tuition prior to your au pair placement.

AU-PAIR PROGRAM CHECKLIST

1. Completed GEOS QCE Brisbane Enrolment Form
2. Completed Au-Pair Application Form
3. Photographs
4. Résumé
5. 2 letters of reference, translated into English.
6. Introductory letter about yourself.

Please tell us about yourself, your purpose for travelling to Australia, your interest to work as an Au Pair and also the work that you are happy to do for your host family. (For example; cooking, childcare, ironing, cleaning, etc.)

After GEOS QCE Brisbane receives all of the above-mentioned documentation, our Homestay Officer will make contact regarding the application.

Please Note: Au-pair placements are not guaranteed. They are subject to availability and conditions apply.

Au Pair Placement Fee: $250