As both valued student recruitment partners to educators, and trusted advisors to millions of students, education agents have played a crucial role in the recent growth of online learning.
Although the online learning market has been trending for years, growth has recently been exponential with campuses closed and millions of people restricted to their homes.
Millions of students sent home
The closure of campuses during the lockdown of 2020 forced conventional education institutions to switch from physical to virtual lessons, literally overnight. Despite the scale of the task and the shortness of time, the sector was hugely successful and has now completely embraced both virtual only, and hybrid teaching formats.
The success in achieving this transition was largely due to the impressive response of the student recruitment agency community, which moved quickly to develop an understanding of the online environment. As both valued partners to educators enrolling students from overseas, and trusted advisors to millions of international students and their families – these agencies were perfectly positioned to understand, and guide, all parties.
Millions at home become students
At the same time, the e-learning market also experienced a tremendous boost, with a huge increase in demand for online study programmes for every subject imaginable. As a result e-learning providers have been working to improve their programme portfolios – in terms of quality, diversity and price range.
In this highly competitive environment, student recruitment agents are playing a greater role in recruiting students and learners to online programmes.
Join industry experts to discuss this booming market from both perspectives in our webinars below:
Promotion of online programmes via international education agencies
Student recruitment for online programmes an opportunity for agencies
Providers – why work with education agents for online-learning?
Agents understand their student/clients’ ambitions and are consulted to make suggestions and recommendations.
As specialists in their regions, agents understand the local education system and know how best to match this with online programmes from overseas providers.
Agents understand the local market – its culture, challenges, opportunities and the education demand.
Agents are able to provide access to focused marketing channels and local media, and attend local education events on behalf of their online education partners.
Agents – why recruit students for providers of online programmes?
Working with online education providers enables you to expand and differentiate your portfolio of education services.
You will be able to reach more potential students – for example, those unable or unwilling to travel overseas.
Recruiting students for online programmes represents a risk mitigation strategy, providing a revenue source that will be less impacted by future crises involving campus and border closings.
Online programmes also present you with a unique opportunity to build lasting relationships with your clients: from a one-time student of one study programme – to a lifelong student and long-term client.
Get access to this growing market at ICEF events
ICEF is the global market leader in business-to-business networking events for the international education industry. Our unrivalled programme of online, in-person, and hybrid events, offers online learning providers an efficient and cost-effective platform to connect with thousands of carefully-vetted student recruitment agencies, who represent tens of thousands of students across the globe.
ICEF Podcast: Exploring the synergies between online learning and international education
In this episode, ICEF’s Craig Riggs and Martijn van de Veen discuss the latest developments in our sector, including a recent call to pause active recruitment in the Netherlands and the increasing competition for outbound students from Sub-Saharan Africa. The episode features a special panel discussion exploring the role of online learning in international education.Continue reading…
UK transnational education expands at fastest rate ever
The sixth edition of Universities UK’s “The scale of UK higher education transnational education” report shows that the UK – already the leading provider of transnational education (TNE) – is more active than ever in this space. More than 510,800 students in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Australasia, and South America wereContinue reading…
Japanese outbound numbers still down in 2021 with a distinct shift to online study
The latest mobility data from JAOS (Japan Association of Overseas Studies) highlights that 2021 was another challenging year for Japanese outbound. The annual report relies on a survey of 40+ education agents that are also JAOS members. That cohort of agents reported total outbound numbers of just under 78,000 students in 2019, the last surveyContinue reading…
Online degrees gaining new prominence because of the pandemic
Online degrees are gaining enrolments, and respect from employers, and the trend carries exciting implications for educators, agents, and international students alike. Last year, US educators enrolled more students in online MBAs than in MBAs delivered in person, a development linked to pandemic realities but also to the increasing acceptance of online degrees from employers.Continue reading…
Rapid growth projected in online programme partner space through 2025
A 2015 study of online programme management (OPM) providers in the United States sized the market at US$1.1 billion at that time (in the US alone). That same analysis estimated that the US market would more than double in size by 2020 to reach US$2.5 billion. A more recent analysis prepared by market intelligence firmContinue reading…
Australia further eases work rights and offers visa fee refunds for returning students
Australia announced earlier this month that international students employed in some sectors would be permitted to work more than 40 hours per fortnight given skills shortages and a need to reinvigorate the national economy. In a further announcement on 19 January, the government has taken those measures a step further and is temporarily removing theContinue reading…
UK: Transnational education numbers continue to grow
The latest data from Universities UK International (UUKi) shows continued growth in the number of foreign students enrolled in transnational education programmes (TNE) offered by British institutions. The scale of UK higher education transnational education 2019–20 reports that there were more than 453,000 students from 225 countries and territories pursuing qualifications from 156 UK institutionsContinue reading…
ICEF Podcast: International students and online programmes in the new normal
In this episode of our continuing podcast series, ICEF’s Craig Riggs (editor of ICEF Monitor) and Martijn van de Veen (vice-president of business development) discuss some of the trends shaping student mobility this month, including some important developments in Australia – where the border will at long last be opened (as of 1 December) to fullyContinue reading…
Edtech giant VIPKid gives up its massive stake in China
VIPKid, an edtech behemoth that was once valued at over US$3 billion, will no longer serve as a platform connecting English-speaking tutors (many of whom are American) and Chinese children, though it will continue offer online tutoring to children in other countries. For years, the company has been facilitating live, one-on-one language lessons given byContinue reading…
Global education outlook anticipates major growth but also downward pressure on post-secondary fees
A recent Global Education Executive Briefing from market intelligence platform HolonIQ forecasts dramatic growth in worldwide demand for education, but with downward pressure on student fees, a greater role for technology, and an expanded footprint for microcredentials and alternate qualifications. Speaking at the August 2021, briefing, HolonIQ Co-CEO Patrick Brothers outlined projections for nearly aContinue reading…
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