VN: We recruit both adults and juniors and we prepare for IELTS and Cambridge Exams, so everything is in one place. I have been working in the industry since 2010. I started as sales manager at another agency where I worked for two and half years and then I created the agency in 2012.

The PIE: What’s the current demand like among your clients?

“Parents tend to send their children somewhere for longer periods of time. Maybe because we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow”

VN: What we see now is that there is bigger demand for academic programmes in Ukraine. So for more long-term programmes. Especially parents tend to send their children somewhere for longer periods of time. Maybe because of the uncertain situation because we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Every day there are changes, it’s a bit complicated.

The PIE: How many students do you work with?

VN: When we’re speaking about numbers it’s important to ask if its groups or individuals. In January we had sent 55 students and when I speak to partners they say that their numbers are the same. We recruit more individual students instead of groups and this is very important. There are agencies who send groups do so because they have links with schools or one of the teachers there so it’s not really the agency who sends the students.

The PIE: Where do you send students?

VN: The UK and more and more Canada. In general we have seen a lot of interest in pathway programmes, preparation for Canadian colleges or universities. Also postgraduate programmes. A lot of students who finish their degree in Ukraine see it’s difficult to find a job so the postgraduate programme gives you a chance to change your degree from linguists or philology for example to HR, management or marketing.

The PIE: So you’re seeing more demand for academic programmes?

VN: I think it is becoming a trend, yes, but Ukraine is so difficult now so you don’t know what to expect tomorrow. The problem in the UK for example is the pound. The pound is almost double the value of the Ukrainian currency. So parents are starting to think twice about whether to pay double for the short-term programme or to accumulate money and save for long-term courses.

The PIE: Could the currency devaluation divert traffic away from the UK?

“Parents are starting to think twice about whether to pay double for the short-term programme or save for long-term courses”

VN: It could. For the UK they will be struggling especially for the short-term programmes. And for the long-term programmes you get your degree in the UK, but you have to go back. There’s little chance you can stay to get some work experience, but Canada gives this chance. In general Canada is a nice country and there are more opportunities there which students aren’t used to and there’s the Ukrainian diaspora in Toronto too.

The PIE: Have you had any problems with visa issuance considering the current situation?