Recruitment & agents

The organisers of the Premier Agency Business Awards (PABA) – which are being held in 2013 in Toronto, Canada for the first time – have revealed the shortlist of education agencies who are in contention for an inaugural award. There are three awards, voted for by a business panel.

UK-based INTO University Partnerships has announced its latest partnership with a US university - this time, Marshall University in Huntington, West Virgina. This is the fourth university in the US to sign up with INTO, which also announced this week that it is bringing one of the largest delegations of education agencies to the UK for a fam tour of partner institutions.

The top five most attractive study destinations according to education agents have not changed since last year, according to the i-graduate ICEF Agent Barometer 2012, however Canada has significantly gained ground on its competitors. 64% rated it "very attractive" – up 5% on 2011 and 15% on 2008.

Launched in March by the Irish immigration authorities and sector body, MEI, the fast-track visa programme for Chinese students is so far underwhelming the sector for its impact on enrolment figures. Despite an initial quota set at 400 students, only about 200 hundred are expected to enrol by the end of the year.

The University of Nottingham has become the first UK university to publish commission rates it pays to appointed student recruitment representatives and agents on its website as well as enforcing a new policy of paying a flat fee for all agents.

The Chinese government is considering tightening regulations regarding overseas agencies that could lead to a ban altogether on foreign-owned operations and greater expectations of other operations, according to China Daily. A draft of the possible new regulation has been published, soliciting opinion from provincial-level education authorities.

Canada is the latest country to mandate a training programme for education agencies interested in gaining certification relating to their Canadian counselling skills. The Canadian embassy in Germany officially launched the Canada course for Education Agents at the weekend on the fringes of ICEF Berlin.

The UK Border Agency has warned Indian students against using unscrupulous education agents to book courses in the UK, saying that agents and students involved in fraud will face action from the Indian authorities. In a statement on the British High Commission website in India, UKBA also said students should avoid using agents for visa purposes altogether.

Language in Group, a UK and Ireland-based language chain, has launched a money back guarantee scheme to build trust among agents and students in the crowded ELT market. Adult clients will be refunded their full fees if the group breaks promises about its courses.

The European Association of Quality Agencies (EAQA) has been recognised by ICEF and FELCA as an accredited agency association. Established in 2011, EAQA aims to support agents in European countries were there is no established national agency association.

Spain's Spanish language travel market grew 8% in 2011, it was reported at the ninth annual Spanish Federation of Schools of Spanish as a Foreign Language (FEDELE) convention last week. However, the single digit growth represents a slowdown from the 83% boom the sector saw from 2000 to 2007.

In a move that could shake the agent sector, China is to launch a "permanent" student fair in Shanghai next June where overseas institutions can recruit Chinese students directly all year round. The IEEC centre will host 800-1,000 schools...

The Taiwanese study abroad market has continued to decline this year, after a recorded drop in 2011, with students shunning language and degree study abroad in favour of short-term working holidays overseas, according to industry sources. UK educators testify to a change in market trends and agents point to less earning potential for them.

The Thai International Education Consultants’ Association (TIECA) has signed a quality assurance agreement with education promotion agencies in the top five English speaking destinations. The declaration solidifies ties with the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

ICEF, the education event and networking company, has certified its 151st ICEF Trained Agent Counsellor (ITAC) just two years after the programme was launched, reflecting the growing interest in the course.