12/08/2020
OET, the international English test for healthcare professionals, has been recognised in two prestigious ranking systems for its continued growth. It has made number 38 in the Australian Financial Review’s 2020 Fast 100 list. The list, which is now in its 30th year, is a measure of Australia’s fastest growing companies. OET has also been voted as number 15 in the fastest 50 women-led organisations by New York based Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO).
OET is an international English language test specifically designed to accurately reflect candidates’ ability to communicate in an English-speaking healthcare workplace. The test is provided by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment, a venture between Cambridge Assessment English and Box Hill Institute
To make the Fast 100 list, OET was assessed on its annual growth rate amongst other criteria over the last four years. It’s important to note that the rankings were announced before the challenging market conditions presented by Covid-19. During this difficult time, OET has been focussed on supporting candidates with the resources they need to continue learning and to resume testing under COVID-safe test conditions.
Francesca Woodward, Chief Executive Cambridge Assessment English, said:
“This is a fantastic achievement and we’re really proud to be playing a role in helping to upskill the healthcare sector. English language skills for healthcare professionals remain crucial and OET plays a significant role in ensuring that healthcare professionals have the communication skills they need to carry out their roles confidently. The secret to our success is that we’ve designed OET to reflect the real-life tasks and language skills that professionals are likely to face. The growth we’ve seen over the last few years shows how seriously healthcare bodies are taking on the communication challenge, which is really encouraging for the global healthcare community".
Sujata Stead, CEO of OET, said:
“These two acknowledgments of our success helps us to reaffirm our commitment to working closely with the healthcare community in meeting the workforce and communication needs of the healthcare sector.”
Vivienne King, CEO of Box Hill Institute said:
“Box Hill are really proud to be a part of such a successful program which ensures our healthcare professionals around the world have the communication skills they need and are expected. We are seeing right now, more than ever, how important our healthcare workers are and it is vital that they have the ability to perform their roles accurately and effectively. It’s also terrific to see such an essential program championing women leaders and being recognised for the excellent work they do.”
OET has been developed specifically for 12 healthcare professions: Dentistry, Dietetics, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Radiography, Speech Pathology and Veterinary Science.
OET results are accepted as proof of English language skills in the UK, the USA, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Singapore, Malta, Namibia and Ukraine.