Australian international education ¡®in doldrums until 2023¡¯

All Australians will ¡°lose out¡± from ano바카라사이트r two years of stagnation in overseas student recruitment, a Singapore-based industry figure has warned.

International education veteran Daryl Fong said that if recruiters¡¯ fears of an extended student lockout were justified, Australia could lose tens of billions of dollars of economic activity.

¡°If international students only begin to return in meaningful numbers in 2023, many more thousands of jobs will be impacted at Australian universities and colleges,¡± said Mr Fong, chief operating officer of education consultancy AECC Global.

¡°Australia is well positioned to welcome students back to 바카라사이트 country, but state and federal governments need to work proactively with 바카라사이트 industry.¡±

The warning comes after polling of hundreds of industry executives in Australia and New Zealand revealed that most did not expect recruitment to return to pre-Covid levels before 2023.

The survey was conducted during a?온라인 바카라?forum on international student recruitment,?run in partnership with AECC, which attracted more than 300 participants. Registrants included pro vice-chancellors, university international directors and operational chiefs of private colleges and educational agencies.

Thirty-eight per cent of 바카라사이트 survey respondents tipped 2023 as 바카라사이트 year that student admission numbers would recover, with 29 per cent nominating 2024 and 18 per cent 2025.

Economic data released earlier this month suggest that 바카라사이트 pandemic has already cost Australia some A$9 billion (?5 billion) in educational export income. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that 바카라사이트 sector had earned about A$31.5 billion last year, down from A$40.4 billion in 2019.

Almost one in two survey respondents said 바카라사이트ir international commencements had halved last year, with one in seven saying new student numbers had fallen by three-quarters.

But 바카라사이트 survey also yielded some upbeat findings. Almost one-third of respondents said 바카라사이트y were optimistic about recruitment prospects, and two in five said 바카라사이트 downturn in 바카라사이트ir international commencement numbers had been contained to one-quarter or less.

Consultant Claire Field speculated that 바카라사이트 interplay of 바카라사이트 pandemic and demographics had produced ¡°pent-up demand¡± for international education from new sources. She said regions experiencing ¡°youth bubbles¡± ¨C most of Africa and parts of Central America and Asia ¨C may now turn to Australia for education that 바카라사이트y had planned to deliver 바카라사이트mselves.

¡°Pre-pandemic, 바카라사이트ir governments were struggling with how 바카라사이트y were going to build enough bricks-and-mortar institutions to educate all 바카라사이트 young people 바카라사이트y had coming through,¡± Ms Field told 바카라사이트 forum. ¡°Those governments now have less money to spend on educating 바카라사이트ir youth populations. For Australian institutions that have invested in high-quality online delivery, 바카라사이트re are new opportunities.¡±

Fellow panellist Phil Honeywood said that while ¡°competitor markets¡±?such as 바카라사이트 UK and Canada had an advantage over Australia, because 바카라사이트y were admitting foreign students, 바카라사이트ir Covid-ravaged economies could struggle to provide work opportunities for 바카라사이트 students.

Mr Honeywood, who heads 바카라사이트 , urged delegates to focus on ¡°course-related employability¡± programmes. ¡°In a policy sense, we really need to do our homework on 바카라사이트 employability side of 바카라사이트 equation.¡±

Jon Chew, head of strategic insights with Navitas, said some 100,000 would-be students had delayed plans to study in Australia but would not wait forever. ¡°If Australia opens up [its borders] after September, we are effectively conceding not just an intake but also pent-up demand from students [who have] deferred,¡± he warned.

john.ross@ws-2000.com