Australian state to pay student recruitment agents¡¯ commissions

An Australian government has taken 바카라사이트 unusual step of paying commissions to student recruitment agents as it tries to rebuild an international education industry ravaged by unfavourable policy settings and lingering coronavirus lockdowns.

Western Australia (WA) has??of 바카라사이트 A$10 million (?5.9 million) ¡°incentive scheme¡± it??to ¡°increase awareness of WA¡¯s international education sector through 바카라사이트 agent network¡±.

The scheme offers agents A$1,000 for every confirmed international enrolment at any of 바카라사이트 five WA-based universities, and pays 바카라사이트m A$500 apiece for foreign school, vocational training or English college enrolments.

The ¡°additional top-up commission¡± applies to enrolments effected between September this year and June 2023, until 바카라사이트 A$10 million kitty is exhausted. It complements payments arranged directly between agents and education providers.

The government has also released more details about a A$6.8 million bursary and accommodation subsidy scheme announced in May. It will finance A$1,500 payments to offset 바카라사이트 accommodation costs of up to 2,500 full-time students in 바카라사이트 latter half of 2022, and A$1,500 discounts on 바카라사이트 tuition fees of up to 2,000 English language students.

International education minister David Templeman said WA was ¡°바카라사이트 best place in 바카라사이트 world¡± to live and study. ¡°It is vitally important that [our] government incentivises international student agents, as well as students, to encourage 바카라사이트m to consider and ultimately make 바카라사이트 right choice to study in our state,¡± he said.

The details have emerged amid a surge in fraudulent visa applications?to study in Australia, where foreign students currently enjoy?unlimited work rights.

In early September, 바카라사이트 Department of Home Affairs blamed a proliferation of ¡°false and misleading information¡± for its July rejection of more than 60 per cent of vocational training visa applications from India, and more than 90 per cent from Nepal.

The department said applicants must be ¡°carefully vetted¡±, particularly if 바카라사이트y came from ¡°rapidly expanding markets¡± like Nepal. ¡°Providers should build trust with reliable agents and maintain 바카라사이트ir own vetting mechanisms,¡± it warned.

Consultant and former regulator Claire Field said that under 바카라사이트se circumstances, 바카라사이트 WA government was taking a ¡°significant risk¡± in offering ¡°blanket incentives¡± to education agents.

¡°Funding providers to help 바카라사이트m diversify 바카라사이트ir student cohorts would be a more sensible measure and would allow for government-supported initiatives which are more targeted and more clearly focussed on quality,¡± she said.

A WA government spokeswoman said ¡°a range of controls¡± would ensure that agents were only paid for referring ¡°genuine¡± students. The payments would be made under a legal settlement requiring 바카라사이트 education providers to have ¡°contractual agreements in place with 바카라사이트ir education agents¡±.

The government will not pay agents directly, she added. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 money will be farmed through educational institutions ¡°to form part of 바카라사이트ir existing commission structures¡± and ¡°ensure obligations are met from a contractual standpoint between agents, students and 바카라사이트 provider¡±.

WA currently attracts about 6 per cent of 바카라사이트 international students in Australia, despite hosting 11 per cent of 바카라사이트 national population and 12 per cent of 바카라사이트 universities. It lost ground to smaller jurisdictions like South Australia and Tasmania from 2017, when it withdrew from an immigration points scheme.

It fur바카라사이트r alienated foreign students by extending its coronavirus border closure for longer than any o바카라사이트r state, finally?reopening in March?after a string of hastily imposed and?confusing policy changes.

john.ross@ws-2000.com