| Australia has an international reputation for excellence in all areas of education and offers a diverse range of opportunities for students at every level. Our innovative and research-intensive education culture is attracting students from across the world – from high school students looking for undergraduate degree programs, to college students planning part of their studies abroad, or college graduates considering further study. Institutions deliver practical and career-orientated training so graduates can be confident they have the skills and qualifications demanded by international employers. Furthermore, academic personnel at Australia’s education institutions are recruited from around the world and often are leading industry experts in their field. Australia also offers excellent value for money, with living expenses and tuition costs considerably less than the UK and the US, and a standard of living that is amongst the highest in the world.
An expanding industry:
- In 2006, there were 383,818 international students enrolled to study in Australia – up 10.9 per cent from 2005.
- Exports through Australian Education were worth $10.1 billion in the financial year to 2006. Of that amount, $9.8 billion can be attributed to international students studying in Australia.
- The largest and fastest growing area for international students is Higher Education (HE) programs, followed by Vocational Educational Training (VET).
- One in four (26.9 per cent) of 2006 enrolments was in the field of Business Administration, followed by English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) with 20.3 per cent of enrolments. Other fields that experienced strong demand were Services, Hospitality, Transport, Health, Community Services and Nursing.
Multicultural Australia is a safe, friendly, sophisticated and harmonious society in which students can learn and travel.
People from about 200 countries have migrated to Australia, making it one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. This means international students are readily accepted and teachers are experienced in teaching classes to students from many countries. Australians value the wealth of cultural diversity and social sophistication that international students bring to our campuses and our communities.
Of the 383,818 international students enrolled to study in Australia in 2006, at least 90,000 were Chinese. India accounted for 39,000 students, followed by South Korea with 31,000 students (Source: Australian Education International/AEI) Other significant enrolments include students from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, USA and Brazil. Read what some foreign students say about studying in Australia.
International students study in Australian schools, vocational training institutes and colleges, English language schools, universities and community colleges. Australia also offers distance and online learning. Many Australian education programs are offered offshore so students can study for Australian qualifications in their own country or combine with studying in Australia. Australian qualifications are internationally recognised and Australian qualifications are linked nationally so students can move between educational sectors (for example; from vocational training to university). Two-thirds of all enrolments in Australia in 2006 were in New South Wales and Victoria. More information can be found on the Study in Australia section of the Austrade website.
The Australian approach to vocational and technical education is recognised as among the best and most innovative in the world. It has played an important role in Australia's economic performance, by greatly increasing the skill of workers and contributing to improved productivity. Public and private vocational training institutions deliver vocational educational training (VET) focused on the workplace. These courses range from accounting and applied science to business studies, tourism and hospitality and include trade skills, such as plumbing and carpentry. International students are attracted to study VET in Australia because they develop practical skills that can be immediately applied to the workplace. Another advantage is that Australian qualifications are linked nationally, so VET study is part of a recognised pathway to advancement and a future university degree.
International students have a wide range of VET institutions to choose from with over 660 colleges and more than 7,000 VET courses on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).
Australian corporate trainers and consultants have always been well regarded internationally and are increasingly in demand for their expertise and experience. Australian trainers and consultants have been recruited overseas for a variety of projects, including:
- Assisting with curriculum development
- Training in joint programs or on a consultancy basis
- Delivering in-house training programs to corporations and government departments
- Providing distance education and online learning programs
- Collaborating on research projects with industry and government
- Working on projects via the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, AusAid, non-government organisations and private agencies
(Sources: IbisWorld, Australian Education International) For more information please visit:
www.acpet.edu.au – Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET)
http://aei.dest.gov.au/Aei/Default.aspx – Australian Education International
www.aqf.edu.au – Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
www.avcc.edu.au – Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee (AVCC)
www.dest.gov.au – Department of Education, Science and Training
www.immi.gov.au/students – Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
www.edna.edu.au – Education Network of Australia (EdNA)
www.elicos.edu.au – English Australia (EA)
www.idp.edu.au – IDP Education Australia
www.detya.gov.au/noosr – National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR)
www.studyinaustralia.gov.au – Study in Australia |
