TEFL Training Industry Maturing as Leading Chiang Mai, Thailand TEFL Training Company Certified ISO 9001:2008 Compliant
In one bright spot of the global economic downturn, the global demand for teachers of English as a foreign language (TEFL) has exploded, with a dramatic increase in the number of schools seeking to train and certify these teachers. In a sign the burgeoning TEFL teacher training industry is beginning to mature, on July 4, 2009 the leading Chiang Mai, Thailand TEFL training company received ISO 9001:2008 certification--the first and only TEFL teacher training company to do so in Asia. DSS International Language Services Co., Ltd., the parent company of the Siam Educational Experience (SEE) TEFL training course was certified ISO 9001:2008 compliant by Bureau Veritas, the global leader in standards assessment and certification, accredited by UKAS, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. ISO 9001:2008 certification verifies that an organization has effective process quality control and includes comprehensive training in process and quality management, which ensures the best TEFL teacher training available in Asia.
Chiang Mai, Thailand (PRWEB) August 2, 2009
On July 4, DSS International Language Services Co., Ltd., the operating company for the SEE TEFL Siam Educational Experience TEFL training certification course received ISO 9001:2008 certification, the first and only TEFL teacher training company to do so in Asia. Certification can be verified by calling +662 670 4800 (inside Thailand 02 670 4800) certification number TH09000391. The scope of supply to which the ISO 9001:2008 certification applies is TEFL Training, English Teaching and Overseas Educational Consulting.
ISO 9001:2008 is the latest version of the ISO standard for quality management systems. The standard includes quality policy--which must be understood at all levels of the organization--quality decisions, quality management record-keeping, planning and development quality management, regular performance review and internal auditing, and the documentation of procedures and exception management. Achievement of ISO 9001:2008 certification means that the organization's quality management meets an internationally recognized standard of quality, and is regularly audited by external, independent auditors.
THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS at DSS International took a full seven months of training staff and preparing for the ISO 9001:2008 audit. The staff and school manager worked exceedingly hard and deserve most of the credit for making SEE TEFL Teacher Training a world standard TEFL training course. All aspects of the organization were subjected to rigorous process management audits. The Bureau Veritas staff were extremely thorough and professional. We are very proud to have achieved the ISO 9001:2008 certification distinction.
THE LEADER IN LANGUAGE SERVICES, DSS International and SEE TEFL are one of just a handful of TEFL training schools in the world that has achieved this world class management system certification, and the first in Asia. This certification indicates that our courses are run, managed and audited to a standard recognized by governments, ministries of education and employers in nearly every country in the world. SEE TEFL Teacher Training is not only world class but is also guaranteed to be recognized by the organizations that employ TEFL teachers.
Potential TEFL teachers face a difficult decision when selecting a TEFL training certification course. Many students have no chance to visit a TEFL training school before making their choice. This is especially difficult when the course is held in a foreign country. International standards are needed to ensure regularly audited quality standards are met. ISO 9001:2008 is a standard that potential TEFL teachers can trust and that schools can rely on for quality training.
THE TEFL INDUSTRY has ballooned in recent years, with skyrocketing demand in China, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Approximately five years ago, a law was amended in Thailand allowing government schools to hire foreign workers as English teachers. Since then the growth of English programs throughout the kingdom has grown dramatically, increasing demand for those same teachers.
Many new TEFL teacher training courses were set up to meet this demand. SEE TEFL itself has seen its enrollments increase by over 44% from 2007-2009. An additional 25% more classes have been added to the upcoming 2010 schedule of classes to meet this growing demand. For the last two years there has been a greater than 95% completion rate for participants in the SEE TEFL course. With this level of growth, it is clear that the health of the industry and its continuing success is dependent upon the deployment of internationally-recognized and independently-audited quality standards.
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDS (ISO) - http://www. iso. org (http://www. iso. org) - was established in 1947 is a network of standards institutes from 159 countries with a central office in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system. ISO is a non-governmental organization that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors, and is the largest standards organization in the world.
SEE TEFL (SIAM EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE) - http://siameducationalexperience. org (http://siameducationalexperience. org) - is the industry standard 4-week, 120-hour TEFL training certification course offered by DSS International Language Services Co., Ltd. This comprehensive course features 6 hours of observed teaching practice in authentic teaching environments, including local schools and colleges, 10 hours of "survival" Thai language instruction, a Thai cultural awareness day, English grammar review, a comprehensive introduction to TEFL lesson planning, classroom management, visa and immigration issues, and job search strategies, resources and advice.
DSS INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE SERVICES CO., LTD. is a comprehensive language services company. Founded in 2004, DSS International offers TEFL teacher training under the SEE TEFL brand, English teacher placement and management services and English and Thai language instruction through the EFL Learning Center Chiang Mai (Lanna) School - http://www. efl-learning-centre. com (http://www. efl-learning-centre. com) - as well as volunteer English language teacher placement through the DSS Education Foundation.
DSS International, through SEE TEFL and the EFL LEARNING CENTRE, has trained, placed, and managed hundreds of English language teachers. Graduates of SEE TEFL teach English in Chiang Mai, across Thailand, and throughout Asia and the rest of the world. The integrated business model of DSS International and its brands requires comprehensive quality management across all parts of the organization. ISO 9001:2008 certification is one of the major steps in the continuing professionalization of TEFL training and language service delivery. DSS International and the SEE TEFL teacher training certification course continues to lead the way in the maturing TEFL teacher training industry.
DSS International is registered with the Thai Ministry of Education (#ช.ม.๐๑-๐๑๓/๒๕๔๙ / C. N.01-013/2549) and SEE TEFL is an institutional member of IATEFL, the leading professional organization supporting TEFL teacher training (#16603).
BUREAU VERITAS - http://www. bureauveritas. com (http://www. bureauveritas. com) - is the world's leading certification body with over 80,000 clients in more than 100 countries, and a global network of 5,700 highly qualified auditors and expertise that is recognized by more than 35 national and international accreditation bodies.
THE UNITED KINGDOM ACCREDITATION SERVICE - http://www. ukas. com (http://www. ukas. com) - is the sole national accreditation body recognized by the UK government to assess, against internationally agreed standards, organizations that provide certification services. Accreditation by UKAS demonstrates the competence, impartiality and performance capability of these evaluators.
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