Page 21 - StudyTravel Magazine August 2019 Issue

SPECIAL REPORT STUDYTRAVEL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019

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Vocational education is a growth market for overseas students. BETHAN NORRIS
investigates how providers are responding to demand for work-related courses.

With the global job market becoming more com- career professionals the length of time taken to
petitive than ever, educational courses that provide complete a university qualifi cation can be a serious
job-ready qualifi cations are increasingly important barrier to study abroad. Vocational qualifi cations are
for international students keen to gain an edge over much more targeted and focused and appeal to a
the competition. The majority of agents who took wider demographic range.” She continues, “With
part in our recent StudyTravel Magazine poll on the rapidly increasing pace of change in careers
vocational programmes revealed that demand for and professions, vocational education offerings are
vocational programmes increased in the last 12 generally perceived as being more up-to-date than
months, with post-study work rights the university counterparts. They are also
most signifi cant factor when seen as being more practical
it comes to choosing a rather than theoretical.”
study destination. For many voca-
One destina- tional students,
tion that has delib- practical, on-the-
erately positioned job training is a
itself as a country key requirement of
where opportunities their course and they
abound for international are looking for courses
students enrolling on vocational that offer this within their period
programmes is Australia. Sanja Fleiss, Mar- of study or immediately after completing the
keting Director at Bridge Business College www. course. Australia is an attractive proposition for
bridgebc.edu.au in Sydney, NSW, says, “Eighty per many vocational students because of its study/work
cent of our total business deals with the vocational policy and Christine Thomson from New Horizons
– or corporate and professional – sector. This per- Australia Institute of Technology www.nhaustralia.
centage has not changed much for us over the past com.au says, “In Australia, students can work up
25 plus years as Bridge has always had a clear focus to 20 hours a week whilst studying, and up to 40
on the value of vocational education for international hours a week during term breaks.” She adds that IT
students in Australia.” is one of the most in demand careers and says of the
Sanja adds that vocational education has a broad courses they offer in this fi eld, “IT theory alone is
appeal for all kinds of students. “For early and mid- not enough. Students are choosing to enrol with us

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