International student recruitment through education agents. Maximise international student recruitment by working with quality education agents

Transcription

1 International student recruitment through education agents Maximise international student recruitment by working with quality education agents Seher Neöz Business Development Manager ICEF GmbH, Germany

2 Outline Setting the context trends in international student mobility The worldwide importance of education agents Why work with them What they can do for you - and for your students How to select and appoint the right education agents How to train, support and compensate them Conclusion and recommendations

3 Source: OECD, Education at a Glance 2014 Global trends in international student mobility Over 4.5 million students enrolled in higher education abroad An exponential growth of 114% since 2000, with an annual growth rate of over 8% US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Canada: 52% of int l students The most international students come from China, India and South Korea Asians represent 53% of international students 29% of students study in the US and the UK (51% in 2000) Europe receives 48%, North America 21% and Asia 18%

4 Increasing competition is creating a new paradigm Given new context, HEI s now have to compete for the best students HEI s need to switch from supply to customer orientation Quality and the student experience is crucial Role of education agents is paramount in student enrolments Marketing & recruitment increasingly important Source: OECD, Education at a Glance 2014

5 EAIE marketing & recruitment survey July 2013 Which of these recruitment channels is most important to your institution in recruiting international degree students?

6 What is an education agent? An individual, a company or an institution that provides educational advice, support and placement to students wishing to study abroad For you a person or an organization abroad that markets your institution, generates inquiries and qualified applicants Different types of agents: Educational referral agents & representatives Study abroad advisers (in different environments) Travel agents with an educational division

7 Why education agents are important Agents are a low risk, low cost way of getting involved in international student recruitment activity They provide fast, direct access to specific local markets In some countries, 60 to 80% of int'l students go through agents Their contribution in terms of student numbers are significant They do not just provide quantity, but also student quality Agents can save work & time for admissions departments

8 What agents can do for you and prospective students Year round representation Market experts Promotion and Advertising locally Local fairs and college days Student appointments & presentation opportunities Improve your application -> admission conversion rates For students Trustworthy and accountable local contact Local language advice to students - and parents! Can suggest an optimal institution / student match Agents provide valuable counselling services

9 How to select agents: some key questions What geographical area do they cover? Company history - how long have they been in business? What is their company structure & number of staff? How many students do they handle each year? What other institutions do they represent (#, type, location)? Can they provide references? Are they members of an association? Do they follow professional standards? What is their promotional and marketing strategy? Availability of testing facilities?

10 Appointing agents: a written agreement is necessary Define respective roles & responsibilities Mention business plan (marketing strategy, budget) Give key performance indicators (quantity / quality) Outline exact compensation model Exclusivity if and when Dispute resolution guidelines Duration of contract including termination clauses

11 How to train your agents Provide comprehensive information Conduct agents training by giving regular updates Produce an agents manual Organise agent familiarization trips

12 How to support your agents Keep in touch and always respond promptly Provide regular updates on new developments Follow predefined, budgetted marketing plan and provide 1st class marketing assistance

13 Some words on compensation Commission on tuition fee (10-25%) Set fee per head Retainer fee over defined time period Student is charged (advising / handling / service fee) Payment procedures should be clearly stipulated and strictly adhered to Important - student fees should always be received before the student arrives

14 Conclusion and recommendations Use agents to quickly boost your international student recruitment Only work with screened, quality agents (ICEF can help) Make further inroads into Southeast Asia, China, South Asia, the Gulf Region and Africa Diversify your agent base & investigate new markets (Central Asia, Turkey, Russia, Latin America, Europe ) Provide clear linkages with English language programmes and foundation courses (feeder institutions) leading into higher education Offer more financial support to students (scholarships)

15 Thank you Please Seher Neöz for any questions: