ILSC Education Group has announced it will close its ILSC-San Francisco and ILSC-New York language schools in March 2018, citing a decline in popularity of the US as a standalone ESL learning destination.
While ILSC has experienced success in recent years in its Canadian and Australian schools, the company said it is responding to ongoing market conditions and “making a strategic shift” in the US as demand has moved to university campus-based pathway programs.
“It’s a decision that will support ongoing success, and enable us to meet our mission to the high standards we hold”
A statement from ILSC explained that the company is planning to refocus efforts to meet the growing demand for higher education by rapidly developing its GlobalFoundations division and expanding its academic testing centre presence in the US.
ILSC’s New York and San Francisco schools stopped accepting registrations as of February 2018 but will continue to run classes until March 23.
For those students who will not have completed their studies by the closure date, ILSC has partnered with local language schools in their respective cities to support easy transfer of studies.
“We understand that this decision may cause some disruption for some students and partners,” said CEO of ILSC Paul Schroeder.
“We will be supporting them fully throughout this transition to minimise the impact and support all students to achieve their study goals while ensuring they receive a high-quality English language learning experience.”
Moving forward, ILSC’s GlobalFoundations division plans to rapidly expand University partnerships in the US.
GlobalFoundations provides first-year university foundation/pathway programs in partnership with and co-located on campuses at select Universities in the US.
Founded in 2016, GlobalFoundations designs and implements on-campus, first-year academic programs that include cultural immersion and English language education as well as support services.
“The market for stand-alone English language education has declined… demand for HE for international students continues to grow”
Students who successfully complete the first year move on to year two of their degree program.
The first GlobalFoundations partnership program is set to launch at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts later this year.
Lesley University president Jeff Weiss said the partnership with GlobalFoundations will enhance their recruitment, outreach, and support of international students.
ILSC will also be expanding its academic testing centre presence to support international students’ journeys into US higher education institutions.
“While the market for stand-alone English language education has declined in the US, the demand for higher education opportunities for international students continues to grow,” explained chief marketing officer Linda Chung.
“We want to support those opportunities in our areas of expertise, as award-winning language educators.”
ILSC will also continue developing language, pathway, vocational and juniors programs in Canada and Australia, where demand continues to be strong.
The company also has plans to expand into new in-demand destinations, and develop summer juniors programs based on university campuses.
“While the decision to close our US language schools wasn’t easy, we’ve made a clear strategic choice to move ILSC forward with a suite of educational offerings that meet market demands, and that allows us to provide high-quality educational experiences to our students,” added Schroeder.
“It’s a decision that will support ongoing success, and enable us to meet our mission to the high standards we hold.”
