Health Careers Language Academy

About Us

Health Careers Language Academy (HCLA) is an English language academy founded by the Institute of Health and Management to deliver English language programs. HCLA programs are specialised and tailored for healthcare professionals in Australia. We are committed to delivering quality English programs to students. This is achieved by offering innovative and creative programs that are flexible to suit your needs and help you improve your English language skills and knowledge.

HCLA is now offering English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS). Our programs now include General English and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) for healthcare professionals. Visit our Courses page for more information about these exciting new courses.

Vision and Mission

Vision : To become a global provider of language programs for healthcare professionals.

Mission : To create jobs through language learning and achieving proficiency for students to work globally:

  • Preparing for future education and work in the healthcare industry
  • Enhance language skills and get the required test scores for further study or work
  • Provide English language programs globally through institutional partnerships:
    • Transition programs and pathways to future undergraduate and postgraduate studies
    • Commercial partnerships for workplace communication
    • Provide learning resources and platforms for global partner institutions
    • ‘Train the Trainer’ program and professional development
    • English test preparation programs

Purpose : Enhancing Lives through Education, Training and Technology.

Why choose to study in Australia?

Australia is a natural wonderland of beautiful beaches, crystal blue waters, ancient rock formations and pristine rainforests. It is the sixth largest country in the world and has the lowest population density per square kilometre. Australia has sixteen world heritage listed sites with it’s historic townships, bustling cities, vivid landscapes and exotic flora and fauna all adding to its unique appeal.

Today, Australian society is made up of people from a rich variety of cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious backgrounds, and this is a defining feature of modern Australian society. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have inhabited Australia for tens of thousands of years or more. Most Australians are immigrants, or the descendants of immigrants who arrived in the past 200 years from more than 200 countries. The most commonly spoken language in Australia is English, and the most commonly practiced religion is Christianity, although foreign languages and other religions are also common.

Australia represents the perfect destination for your English studies because of:

  • The quality of the education system
  • The protections the Australian government has in place to protect and help international students
  • The high calibre of our teacher training programs
  • Lifestyle factors
  • Moderate, seasonal climate
  • Vibrant metropolis with clean and relatively safe cities
  • Career development opportunities

Our campus is located in the heart of the growing Parramatta CBD, it provides students with easy access to many hip cafes and bars, a major shopping centre, a public transport terminus (with regular bus and train services), cultural facilities, and other major educational institutions. Western Sydney is one of the fastest growing regions of Australia economically.

Our campus is in a newly renovated building with state of the art learning facilities. With large classrooms, a dedicated computer lab, library resource facilities, student study spaces, a spacious student lounge and large student kitchen, it provides great spaces for learning, studying, and just chilling out. All students have access to our fast campus wi-fi and access to our great e-learning resources through the HCLA Knowledge Hub platform to support them throughout at all English levels. Every classroom is also equipped with brand new wireless digital projection systems to facilitate language learning. This is all combined with dedicated, highly qualified teachers and support staff to provide students with the optimal learning environment to improve their English.

The name Parramatta comes from an Aboriginal word from the Burramattagal clan which is part of the Darug nation, who inhabited the area for over sixty thousand years. The word burramattagal (from which the name Parramatta is derived) means a place where eels lie down, which is a reference to the Parramatta River which passes by a few blocks from the campus. Alongside the river are stunning parklands with jacaranda trees which produce spectacular light purple blossoms.

Along the river is a bicycle and walking path which extends down to the harbour and central Sydney; a ride of around thirty kilometres that can be completed in under two hours (one way) at a moderate pace. Bicycles can be taken on trains, which may be useful if completing the return journey is too much for you.



Committed staff

Our services are tailored to suit the needs of our students, along with the requirements of the accredited English programs in which students are enrolled.

Our dedicated teaching and support staff adhere to the following principals to advance students’ educational opportunities and protect the welfare of students:

  • Providing teaching that is dynamic and innovative in approach
  • Ensuring educational materials reflect current thinking/models of best practice
  • Ensuring that teaching occurs in accordance with the requirements of the accredited course
  • Maintaining confidentiality at all times
  • Developing positive, supportive relationships with students based on open communication and sharing of knowledge and skills
  • Using a range of assessment styles and tools to accommodate a range of abilities and learning styles
  • Adhering to principles of good management and accountability
  • Actively supporting our policies to protect individual rights and to prevent harassment, discrimination and bullying
  • Appropriate information, advice, support and referrals are made available to all clients within the restrictions of the Privacy Act in order to assist the achievement of their desired outcomes
  • Adherence to fees and charges policies of the Tuition Protection Scheme (TPS)

Services to Students

Health Careers Language Academy offers many important student support services to help you adjust to your new environment including:

  • Admissions and administrative support
  • Examination preparation programs and regular skills workshops
  • Regular social events and excursion activities
  • Counselling services by appointment
  • Careers advice
  • Disability services where required
  • Student notice board
  • Online learning resources through our Student Portal

Social Activities

We understand that starting a new course, in a new country, in a new language, may be a little bit daunting. As such, HCLA offers new students many opportunities to make friends in a social setting on campus.

Some such activities and social events include:

  • Cultural activities
  • Social activities
  • Student parties
  • Job Preparation Workshops
  • Graduations
  • Conversation Clubs
  • Class field trips (excursions) with your class teacher

Pathways to Further Study

Progression from English study to further studies in other fields is called ‘articulation’. For most students’ English studies are a starting point for further academic or career development. Students who successfully complete their English programs to the requisite benchmark will be able to articulate into further study. Health Careers Language Academy currently has articulations in place with the following course providers:

Institute of Health and Nursing Australia

The Institute of Health and Nursing Australia is our vocational sister school that offers Certificates and Diplomas in the following areas:

  • Aged Care
  • Disability Services
  • Nursing
  • Early childhood education

Institute of Health and Management

Health Careers Language Academy is the language arm of Institute of Health and Management (IHM). IHM is an accredited provider of postgraduate professional development courses for nursing graduates.

We are always developing new relationships with providers of courses in other areas. Contact our Admissions team for the latest information.