Leading Australia-based English language school BROWNS has announced the launch of a new AUS$1.5m professional business school aimed at international students intent on a pathway to further academic studies or jobs in Brisbane and further afield.
The 23-week Certificate IV in Business will launch in October and the 24-week Diploma of Business starts in April with aims for 100 students across both programmes in year one.
BROWNS Professional is specifically targeting students from Thailand, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Middle East, Latin America, Hong Kong and China and markets already showing an interest are Saudi Arabia and Colombia.
“Students can complete a year’s worth of university study in only six months,” explained Managing Director of BROWNS Professional, Richard Brown.
“We come with the intention of disrupting the market and challenging other providers”
“Students are then integrated into real-world Brisbane workplaces and offered unlimited free English lessons.”
“Sometimes, a little bit of extra support is all that’s needed for international students to build their confidence in Australia,” he added.
Speaking exclusively to The PIE News, Acting Director, Sales & Marketing Ben Mack added: “We’re serious about improving the quality of the pathway experience for students in Brisbane and Australia, and come with the intention of disrupting the market and challenging other providers to improve the quality of the overall student experience.”
Mack explained that following the opening up of post-study work rights for international students in Australia, BROWNS experienced a surge in demand for academic qualifications needed for further studies.
“Common areas of concern for international students transitioning into university through vocational programmes included a lack of industry exposure and English language support,” noted Mack.
“Particularly during the first term of studies, international students transitioning into academic environments can struggle with a new style of pedagogy, particularly where academics teach primarily to a native-English audience and use fast-paced English and Australian slang and jargon,” he said. “Most vocational colleges offered little in the way of English support,” he added.
The new centre is located in the central business district area, just a block away from the English language school and features purpose-built executive-style boardrooms with state of the art technology.
BROWNS Professional is registered with the Australian government and expects to make announcements in 2015 about additional programmes around international business, management and hospitality. The school currently hosts over 3,000 students a year across its Brisbane and Gold Coast centres.