Recruitment & agents

Turkey's education system is unable to satisfy demand, meaning business growth for education agencies, says the agency association UED. Its latest figures show that 80% of members have seen an increase in business on last year.

Delays to student visa processing in Russia – due to UK visa application centres being transitioned to a new commercial provider – are putting strain on a market already made fragile by political unrest and a weak ruble, The PIE News has learned.

A group of 11 education agents from BELTA, the Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association, has just returned from a familiarisation trip of South Africa that will likely boost bookings from Brazilians keen to learn English and study in the country, say organisers.

The British Boarding Schools Workshop (BBSW) used its recent workshop to introduce its new database and online “web community” to over 250 delegates this month. The news was announced at another successful workshop that also featured a look-a-like Queen and Rolls Royce trip to Windsor Castle.

The International Association of Language Centres, a network of independent language schools teaching their native language to international students, has welcomed new members in Spain, China and North America.

UK-focused global education agency, SI-UK, with numerous offices spanning Japan, the UK, India and Turkey, is increasing its global footprint with new operations in China, Thailand and Nigeria. Its growth plans follow an investment into the company that helped achieve a 25% rise in student applications year on year.

ICEF has celebrated its 100th Canada Course Graduate, which is a specialised training course for education agents that wish to display sound knowledge of Canada as a study destination. A Colombian agent became the fourth from his company to complete the CCEA.

"There is a real arms race going on in student acquisition"

Both the UK and Germany are calling on the creative photography skills of international students to promote study opportunities in competitions with prizes worth £250 and €500 respectively. FDSV in Germany and the British Council in the UK are behind the promotions.

After a stagnant 2013, members of one of France's leading French as a foreign language teaching associations, Groupement FLE, are prepared to approach 2014 head-on with cross sectoral alliances and plans to expand their marketing strategies to emerging markets.

In a marketing move that will bring more agents to its fairs, IALC and ICEF’s ANZA have joined forces to create a cost-effective double workshop package for agents to be held in Australia and New Zealand this April. The coordinated timing and location of the two workshops means that IALC institutions as well as exhibitors can easily attend both.

Private equity firm CVC Capital is investing over US$200 million into EIC Group, one of the world's largest education consultancies for Chinese student recruitment, according to a report citing anonymous sources. EIC has 20 offices worldwide and claims to run the "best attended, most effective" recruitment fairs in China.

Despite being hit hard by the economic crisis, Spain's outbound study market has seen steady growth over the past few years due to many believing language training can leverage job opportunities. The sector is predicted to continue its upward trajectory this year and ASEPROCE is keen to place a mark of quality on its membership base.

A new "ecosystem" encompassing the student application process from inquiry to graduation has been launched by a British former private college owner who believes his idea will improve quality standards and compliance and safeguard the UK's reputation as an education destination.

Members of Spain's agency association, ASEPROCE, met with member schools of The English Network (TEN) at an intimate event that both agents and educators said was beneficial. Juan Elizalde, president of ASEPROCE said the small workshop format was "much more personal" than traditional big workshops.