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Strategic Plan for the Promotion of Professional Services Exports in Barbados – Education Services

This strategic plan outlines opportunities for Barbados to promote professional services exports in education sectors such as English Language Training and Vocational/Specialist Skills Training. It identifies market trends, local capabilities, target markets, and marketing activities to enhance Barbados' position in the international education market.

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Strategic Plan for the Promotion of Professional Services Exports in Barbados – Education Services

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  1. Strategic Plan for the Promotion of Professional Services Exports in Barbados – Education Services Sunil Sinha Technical Director Emerging Market Economics December 2006

  2. Overview Strong international demand: • Worldwide market for education exports is ~US$30 billion; global market for education services projected to triple over next 20 years • Number of students in formal education abroad topped 2 million in 2002 • About 1.3 million students study English as a foreign language abroad annually Market segments most relevant for Barbados are: • English Language Training (ELT) • Medical Training • Vocational/specialist Skills Training

  3. Market Sectors ELT • Range of courses including business-oriented programmes, multi-year programmes, 6-8 week summer courses, integrated tourism/training Vocational/Specialist Skills Training • Wide variety of courses/qualifications on offer; computer software and hardware, business and clerical courses, vocational

  4. International Trends ELT • Continued increase in demand for ELT, particularly from Asia • Trend for universities/training centres to set up centres in low-cost locations Vocational/Specialist Skills Training • Increasing range of technology and applications in knowledge-based economies increases demand for specialised skills

  5. Local Capability • Good educational infrastructure in place for ELT, vocational training and graduate programmes - quality education across a range of subjects • Paramedic (1 year) and EMT (6 weeks) training at Community College, Barbados leads region in this field Offers • ELT is cost competitive

  6. Target Markets ELT • Two-thirds of international students are from Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan); Europe (Italy, Russia) and Latin America (Brazil) are next largest sources. Brazil is major market on door step. Vocational/Specialist Skills Training • CSME lacks quality technical and vocational education driven by industry needs

  7. Market Positioning ELT • Offering quality courses in English-speaking, crime free country with few visa restrictions, lower cost than US, international students often associate reputation of Universities with quality of education on offer, need to raise profile of University • Attract disaffected US companies with strong market base Technical and Vocational Education • High cost for region limits intra-regional demand, need to be specialised to attract regional students

  8. Marketing Activities – Brand Awareness Objective: Raise overall international profile of Barbados as centre for quality education • Study in Barbados’ Website: Increase awareness of Barbados education “brand”; provide useful country-level information for potential students to encourage them to choose Barbados • ‘Study in Barbados’ Advertising: Directed at potential students. Periodicals, brochures to be distributed at education fairs, embassies, etc. Reach students who might not come across website • Raise Int’l Profile of University: Would boost profile of overall industry. Strategic alliances, partial scholarships for few top foreign students

  9. Marketing Activities – Direct Marketing Objective: Increase applications from foreign students • Education Fairs: Especially important in Latin America and Asia. Small ‘Study in Barbados’ delegation should attend major fairs, promoting industry as whole • Education Agents: Especially important in China; developing relationships with reputable agents will increase quality as well as quantity of applications; discuss w/ British Council; conduct fam. trips • Using Foreign Students: Train to promote Barbados once they return home • To Foreign Students in Barbados: Transition students into higher-level programmes to increase length of stay, value-added; easy visa extensions important

  10. Enabling Environment Objective: Addresslocal factors constraining growth • Partnerships and Coordination: Between University, Community College and private providers on marketing and joint product offerings; coordinate on fairs, agents and cross-marketing to each other’s students • Work Permits: More countries doing this, attracts more students, maybe higher quality students • Visa Issues: Continue to improve application process, perhaps need for TA from British on design/implementation of student visa scheme and/or evaluating applications • Business Environment/Support: Launch programme to look at ways to improve access to finance for SMEs, ease of permit/planning process, assist with marketing, provide market information • Accreditation: Work towards accreditation system

  11. Thank you

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