Astex is now hiring English teachers.

General Information:

Agency: ASTEX

Website:
Astex English Agency
http://www.astex.es
Google Maps

Update:
Feb. 10, 2012.

When did the agency open?
1986.

Contact person and title:
Fran O’hara

Contact phone:
(00 34) 91 590 49 21.

E-mail:
fohara@astex.es.

Address:
C/Hermanos Bécquer, 7 - 6 Piso
28006 - Madrid, Spain.
A five minute walk North from Metro Ruben Dario, just up the way from the U.S. Embassy.

Facilities and classrooms:
ASTEX isn't an academy, but they do have 12 classrooms on-site and they do have lunch-time classes there, though they always try to do the classes in-company. Their training center is on Calle Velázquez.

Have good materials support, photocopier?
Four computers with ADSL (broadband) connections, WIFI in our office, printing and photocopying facilities, a reference library of textbooks and supplementary material for general / business / exam English.

Have "Director of Studies" support?
Yes. They have 3 DOSes and they're also experimenting with a mentoring programme this year.

VIPs on staff?
David Warner, course designer for companies such as BBVA or FERROVIAL.
Susan Taylor, who has written a number of books on translating.

Employment Information:

How many teachers do they hire per year?
ASTEX hires about 30 to 40 teachers per year.

Qualification requirements for employment?
Ideally, the candidate should have a degree and TEFL certificate though the reality of the situation is that they often accept candidates without either of these. Good social skills are often seen as just as important in an in-company class.

Experience requirements for employment?
Again, "ideally" 2 years of teaching experience.

Hire at a distance?
No. They'll want to talk to you face-to-face.

Hire Americans and do their papers?
Used to, but just about all of the applications were rejected by the authorities.

Preference for British or Americans?
None apparently.

Best part about working at ASTEX?
Apart from the obligatory orientation sessions, ASTEX offers about 2 workshops per month which include topics for both beginners and experienced teachers.

Offer teacher training or development along with job?
Several workshops along the year on specific topics.

Starters' average salary?
Teachers at ASTEX are either on a contract or freelance ("autónomos"). Contract are offered €17.50 gross per hour as a starting hourly rate. Freelance teachers are offered €24 gross per hour as a starting rate (although "autónomos" pay their own taxes and medical), but the average rate for experienced autónomos is a lot higher.