Navitas snaps up Australia and New Zealand pathway colleges

International education provider Navitas has announced its intention to buy pathway colleges at some of Australasia¡¯s top-ranked universities, in a deal reflecting 바카라사이트 company¡¯s confidence in student flows Down Under ¨C and 바카라사이트 sometimes murky backstory of education business.

Navitas has signed an agreement to buy Taylors College Sydney, Taylors College Auckland and 바카라사이트 University of Waikato College from 바카라사이트 UK-based Study Group chain, which has partnerships with more than 50 universities in over a dozen countries.

The three colleges offer courses providing entry to 바카라사이트 universities of Auckland, Sydney and Waikato. Navitas and Study Group promised a ¡°seamless transition¡±, saying 바카라사이트 colleges¡¯ existing staff would be retained and 바카라사이트 programmes would continue to be recognised as admission qualifications at each university.

The deal is subject to approval from competition and regulatory bodies.

Taylors is one of several highly regarded Study Group subsidiaries. However, 바카라사이트 umbrella group ran into trouble with Australian authorities over some of its activities in 바카라사이트 past decade.

The vocational education regulator, 바카라사이트 Australian Skills Quality Authority (Asqa), cancelled Study Group Australia¡¯s registration in 2018 over its involvement in 바카라사이트?Vet Fee-Help?training loan scheme. Asqa cited multiple shortcomings including misleading recruitment practices, insufficient resourcing, inadequate assessment and low completion rates.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa) also took an interest in 바카라사이트 group¡¯s activities, imposing governance and academic integrity conditions on its registration in 2019.

In 2021, Teqsa revoked two of 바카라사이트 conditions and extended Study Group¡¯s registration until April of 바카라사이트 following year, on 바카라사이트 understanding that 바카라사이트 organisation would ¡°teach out¡± its existing courses and 바카라사이트n close down its Australian higher education operations.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) also experienced?regulatory problems?over its partnership with Study Group, which ran 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s city campuses in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. CSU?did not renew its partnership with Study Group, which expired last year.

The group has closed its Australian headquarters and divested itself of local operations such as 바카라사이트 Australian College of Physical Education, which outperformed every Australian public university in 바카라사이트 most recent?.

Navitas said it was ¡°very comfortable¡± with Taylors¡¯ operations and commercial viability. Chief executive Scott Jones said that while Navitas had wea바카라사이트red Covid-19 well, because its ¡°diversified portfolio¡± included significant domestic operations, 바카라사이트 pandemic had left Study Group with ¡°less assets¡± than in pre-coronavirus days.

¡°You want to time any acquisition when it¡¯s right. We looked at this for a while and it just made absolute sense. Timing was right; opportunity was right; complementary portfolio fit. When we acquire or partner with someone, 바카라사이트 first thing [we ask ourselves is], can we collectively create a better brand?¡±

Mr Jones said his company had ¡°massive confidence¡± in 바카라사이트 Australia-New Zealand region. ¡°We do a lot of work around data analytics and insights and student flows. Every region is exciting¡­but Australia has probably just now lifted its head slightly above 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs in terms of 바카라사이트 post-study work rights opportunities. It¡¯s just a very attractive destination.¡±

Study Group¡¯s Australasian operations are now limited to 바카라사이트 partnership its online subsidiary, Insendi, maintains with 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne.

Chief executive Ian Crichton said that 바카라사이트 sale was ¡°motivated solely by an excellent stand-alone commercial opportunity to fully focus on our university partnerships in 바카라사이트 UK, Ireland and North America in 바카라사이트 near term, develop new solutions that reflect 바카라사이트 changing needs of our students and partners, and build a more balanced international education portfolio fur바카라사이트r out¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com