The Koala was thrilled to be invited to the NT International Education Industry Forum on Friday. It was a great day to reflect on and discuss current trends and issues in the sector, and it was enjoyed by all who attended.
Scott Lovett, the Deputy CEO of Industry, Tourism and Trade in the NT opened the day underscoring the importance of international students to the Territory economically, but more importantly socially to the fabric of the communities in the NT.
Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) provided a competitor country update walking through Canada, USA, UK, NZ, Germany, France and China. The upshot being the USA remains the destination of choice however this will be somewhat dependant on the upcoming Presidential election. He also identified a trend of an increasing number of Chinese students choosing Hong Kong and Singapore as destinations.
Market share by state was discussed, with WA leading the way in growth of market share (not total market share), with Victoria being noted as having the toughest time off the back of COVID. Honeywood also underscored the need to develop the school sector. Other key points as Honeywood walked through the states and territories was the differences between key source countries by state.
To round out Honeywood’s presentation he spoke to the politics, the policy and the public service. It was a comprehensive run through of the current issues affecting the sector.
Camm Gibson, Assistant Director, Business, Industry and Regional Outreach and Engagement NT from the Department of Home Affairs, was next up. Camm gave a scripted presentation of the changes that have been made and are anticipated by the Department of Home Affairs. Nothing new, but needless to say, when they are worked through in this fashion, it left the room somewhat depressed at the actions being taken and the rationales provided for making them. On the lighter side, the term “permanent temporary” appears to be well in the vernacular of the government.
The Koala then addressed the forum, speaking about the current situation, how it came about, and what the media and the sector can do via advocacy to ensure the government is clear on the opinions that exist across the sector.
After lunch, Kendall Draper from Austrade spoke of the Japanese market opportunity, she beamed in from Osaka. This was followed by the impressive Fiona Simpson from IDP who walked through the emerging futures research IDP has done. The longitudinal and point-in-time data are equally impressive.
Following afternoon tea, Rebecca Bendall from Acumen presented on their agent perception survey in India. Again, fascinating insights.
The last main session of the day was delivered by Karla Silva from the (PR/Marketing) agency Atomic 212. Karla herself is from Venezuela and is a stellar example of what education and migration can do for this country. She walked through building an offshore campaign from the ground up and provided several key pointers along the way.
The day wrapped up with The Hon. Joel Bowden, Minister for Skills, Training and International Education, speaking about the NT’s lobbying efforts in the current climate. He is confident Canberra understands the Territory’s unique position.
The Koala has many folks to thank. Firstly, Larnie Batten, StudyNT Director and the entire staff of StudyNT for the invitation to join the forum, and for their hard work in making it such a success. Secondly, to co-presenters who made the content throughout the day thought-provoking and enjoyable. Lastly, to attendees. It was wonderful to engage with a group of people who are so clearly passionate about the sector and their offer, and the NT has a lot to offer.
