KOCHI: More than two decades ago, Biju Kunnumpurathu, a mechanical engineer hailing from Thanneermukkom in Alappuzha moved from Malaysia to Melbourne to set up his business there. When Biju got the opportunity to work in the recruitment sector of a hospital there, he found that there is a huge opportunity for nurses from India.
To help aspiring Indian nurses from financially backward families to make most of the opportunity, he started a skill training institute in Melbourne. He started providing a bridging course for nurses, who completed their studies. So far, he was able to help more than 20,000 nurses from India, the Philippines and Nepal. Biju said he is planning to start a similar institute in Kadavanthra this year.
“In 2002, while I was part of the recruitment process at Austin hospital here, I found that only a few nurses arrived from Kerala. So, we started a recruitment company in Kochi the same year and started sending nurses on student visas. The aspiring nurses have to attend an Australian Bridging Programme before getting recruited. So, our skill training institute helps them clear the test. We also offer scholarships for bright candidates coming from economically backward families,” said Bijo.
He says, post-Covid, Australia has a huge need for nurses. Though earlier, the country let nurses with diploma in general nursing, now they approve only candidates with BSc. However, they have started accepting candidates with just three months of experience as well, he said.