Japanese demand for Australia’s educational institutions will continue on an upwards trajectory, provided institutions strengthen their agency relationships and differentiate themselves in a competitive market, according to the latest Japanese agent report by Australian Trade Commission (Austrade).
The report, which was published this week, canvassed education agent opinion in the country and aims to enable Australian institutions to better present their offering and understand expectations around service standards and Japanese market evolution.
The report found Japanese students are attracted by Australia’s lifestyle, safety, robust support systems and familiarity with Japanese culture.
A key area of improvement for agents included improving response times, with one anonymous agent noting: “The speed of responses determines the winners and losers.”
Austrade itself commented: “Australian education institutions now have a critical window to re-think their engagement with their agents before competitor nations lock in partnerships and push Australia from view.”
According to the report, one of Australia’s biggest competitors is Canada, which one agent noted as having “Japan-specific marketing strategies”; advising “Australia needs to revitalise its image in the market.”
Other countries vying for Australia’s market share include the Philippines, New Zealand and Ireland.
Austrade has advised institutions to increase back-to-back messaging around safety, peace of mind and a comfortable lifestyle
The report also reveals that Australian institutions without a distinct selling point may end up losing price-sensitive Japanese students to more recognisable American or British institutions.
An existing unique strength of the Australian market is its increasingly popular “English plus alpha” programmes which combine English with another course component such as internships, academic study, or volunteer activities at NGOs.
Agents have advised raising the profile of such programmes, with one agent noting: “Over 10 years ago Australian university ELICOS centres were first off the block in providing a range of ‘products’. Now that other countries have caught up and are offering similar products, it’s time for Australia to take the lead once more.”
Following the feedback, Austrade has also identified the importance of future career prospects as a pull factor for Japanese students, and has advised that institutions should find ways to incorporate this into their own branding.
Agents recommended identifying a ‘superstar’ graduate to become an in-country ambassador – a technique observed in the USA – to help elevate the reputation of institutions for producing note-worthy graduates.
Safety continues to be a concern among Japanese parents and students, and Austrade has advised institutions to increase back-to-back messaging around safety, peace of mind and a comfortable lifestyle.
Speaking to The PIE News, Austrade said: “In a crowded and sophisticated market like Japan, it is critical for institutions to create a recognisable and readily understood brand, and then promote it to their agents,”
“Agents are capitalising on Japan’s resurgent study abroad market by extending their core functions”
“If the agents aren’t sold on the message, it’s unlikely a prospective student will,” warned Austrade, adding that institutions should identify a maximum of three unique selling points.
While almost all agents interviewed are witnessing an increase in demand for Australia, the role of agents in Japan is also evolving, meaning the potential for Australian institutions to take advantage of this is rife.
“Agents are capitalising on Japan’s resurgent study abroad market by extending their core functions beyond selling study abroad programmes to building partnerships with the Ministry of Education, prefectural boards of education, and individual institutions. Agents are now well placed to develop new pipelines of business for institutions,” reports Austrade.
