THE Gold Coast has missed out on $1 billion from the education sector since 2006, according to a report that shows a 7785 shortfall in the number of foreign students on the Gold Coast.

The figures were included in a document put together by Study Gold Coast.

The group’s chairman, Nick Bottrall, is planning to use them to convince the Gold Coast City Council to pump up the funds used to market the crucial sector.

The Gold Coast’s share of international students coming to Australia has dropped since 2006, when it was a regional leader and claimed 4 per cent of the education market.

Each international student is worth $30,000 a year to the city and it is estimated the decline has cost the Coast $200 million a year for five years.

Research shows that at best, Gold Coast international student numbers have been flat since 2006, while nationally enrolments increased by 47 per cent.

Mr Bottrall said the group was pushing to have $4.5 million injected into the marketing of the Gold Coast education sector in the next three years.

“We missed out on a large number of students that we could have attracted in that time,” he said.

“We believe if that money is put back into the sector, it would be paid back several times quite quickly.”

Mr Bottrall said cities such as Perth and Adelaide had worked hard to increase their market share while the Coast had stood still.

He said a number of factors had affected student numbers, including cuts by the Gold Coast City Council to promotional spending for the education sector and divisions between local education providers.

“Everyone was off doing their own thing,” he said.

“Now we are back on track and unified.

“The infrastructure is already there this time and all we need to do is work hard to fill up the schools, universities and colleges.”

More recently, the high Australian dollar, along with the Federal Government’s changes to student visa rules and the backlash from attacks on Indian students in Melbourne, affected the education sector.

Study Gold Coast has set a goal of increasing the city’s market share of international student enrolments by 0.5 per cent over the next three years.

Based on the 2011 national enrolment numbers, this would see an extra 3000 students heading to the Gold Coast to study by 2015 and 2016 and an extra $90 million a year pumped into the economy.

Southport Councillor Dawn Crichlow admitted the council had “not done enough to support the education sector”.

“We have to get out there and back the education providers if we are going to compete with the rest of the world,” she said.

But Cr Crichlow said she did not support increasing funding and instead wanted to talk to Study Gold Coast about other options.

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Gold Coast Bulletin, Page: 28

THE first step to the Gold Coast becoming a Knowledge City is convincing the city itself of what it could be.

Out-of-towners have no appreciation for the tertiary credentials of the city and even guffaw when they hear development of a knowledge precinct and lifestyle is a serious ambition. Just as concerning is how  many locals are also unaware of what the Gold Coast has to offer when it comes to knowledge development.

The Gold Coast is home to four universities and more than 23,000 students.

Griffith University (Southport): Australia’s ninth-largest higher education provider and a top-lO Australian research university, has more than 17,000 students on the Coast.

Bond University (Robina): a leading private university, rated the most five stars of any Australian university (2012 Good Universities Guide), has 4500 students.

Southern Cross University (Tweed): highly regarded regional university, 1500 students at several Gold Coast campuses.

CQ University (Southport): one of 10 campuses of the Rockhampton institution, 460 students, strong focus on international students but expanding to domestic students in 2012.

The Gold Coast also boasts one of Australia’s leading vocational education facilities, the Gold Coast Institute of TAFE, which has more than 16,500 students at sixcampuses: Southport (2), Coomera (2), Coolangatta and Ashmore.

There are also 160 registered training organisations, including EIM Training (800 students), Gold Coast Training Academy (200), Martin College (100), and AICA Education and Massage Schools of Queensland (almost 100).

These figures show more than 40,000 Gold Coast residents are studying for a tertiary qualification, which represents 11 per cent of the city’s population. This is a 25 per cent increase on the less than 30,000 people five years ago.

Such evidence reinforces that the Gold Coast has the foundation to embrace the title of Knowledge City.

Many believe such a move is a necessity in these difficult times.

Why it’s worth it In a speech to the House of Representatives on August 18, Member for McPherson Karen Andrews spoke of the economic impact the education sector has on the Gold Coast.

“The Gold Coast’s two largest universities generated more than $1.6 billion towards the Gold Coast’s economy in 2010,” she said.

Referring to two studies detailing the economic benefits of Griffith and Bond universities, Ms Andrews said the former injected more than $1 billion annually into the local economy and accounted for more than 2 per cent of local employment. Bond University, she said, injected $600 million and 2200 regional jobs.

“Importantly, these economic impact figures do not include development of human capital provided by the education of graduates or the flow-on effects of research and development conducted by the universities,” she said.

Furthermore, figures released in June by the Gold Coast City Council’s economic development branch revealed education was one of the top five industries in the city this year.

Using figures for the 12 months ending February 2011, more than 20,000 people are employed on the Gold Coast in education and training.

The industry also ranked second top by employment growth (4500 workers), with only health care and social assistance higher. Education and training was also the top-ranked industry by flow-on economic value.

“It’s long overdue for us to develop a second layer of industry on the Gold Coast,” Ms Andrews told Parliament. “But I should say that we are well on track to doing that now. The second layer comprises our manufacturing industry and, for today’s purposes, the education industry.

“We should be doing what we can to strengthen and develop the education sector on the Gold Coast.” So what needs to be done and what might be the result of such action? The future When asked what needs to happen for the Gold Coast to become known as a Knowledge City, the message from education figures was simple get behind it.

“People say we need more universities,” Griffith University external relations director Meredith Jackson said. “We don’t. The Gold Coast is credible with several first-rate institutions already. We have a top-lO research university, several other good universities, a very good TAFE.

We don’t need more; we need capacity in the institutions we have.

“Griffith is working very hard to engage the community but it has to be a shared responsibility. We have to spread the word and get the community engaged in the idea. We need people in the street to value what we have here in terms of knowledge infrastructure and achievement.” Ms Jackson likened the aim to that achieved in Silicon Valley, the name given to the region of California that is home to many of the world’s largest technology corporations.

“Heavily encouraged by universities, businesses said We are going to concentrate here on the west coast of America’, where there’s plenty of innovation and plenty of opportunity,” she said.

“Do that here and, once you start to build critical mass, you start to get the spin-off effect and the whole of the Gold Coast economy starts to benefit. The Coast becomes a hub.” As for what is needed to promote the Gold Coast as a Knowledge City, StudyGoldCoast president Nick Bottrail says financial assistance is crucial.

“If the Gold Coast City Council were to allow $2 million in next year’s budget for us, we could start building up our universities and vocational education,” he said. “We could visit countries and make everyone aware the Gold Coast is a learning city, not just a fun city. I just think the system hasn’t got education in it yet.

“We’re so intent on teaching and training people that we’re not as forthright and strong as the tourism industry. We need to stand up and say ~What about us?’.” StudyGoldCoast, established in 1995, is the peak industry body for the education and training industry on the Gold Coast with a mission to support, promote and grow the industry in a global environment.

Unlike similar tourism bodies, however, it receives little to no funding from ratepayers, instead relying on contributions from members such as Griffith University, Bond University, Southern Cross University and Gold Coast Institute of TAFE.

In the most recent budget, Gold Coast City Council allocated $13.9 million to Gold Coast Tourism, along with more than $5 million to Surfers Paradise Alliance, Broadbeach Alliance and Connecting Southern Gold Coast.

“If we’re throwing $20 million at tourism each year, why not throw $2 million at promoting education,” Mr Bottrall said. “The return is going to be enormous. We’ve got to get away from this old paradigm where we’re just a
tourism town.” A comparison can be made with Education Adelaide and its StudyAdelaide brand, which is charged with developing and expanding South Australia’s share of the national education export market.

Established in 1998, it is funded by the South Australian Government through the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology.

A source indicated Education Adelaide is funded to the tune of $2.6 million, allowing it to employ eight fulltime equivalent staff. Contrastingly, StudyGoldCoast has just 2.5 staff.

Judging by recent results, Adelaide’s money is well spent.

The number of international students choosing to study in Adelaide has tripled since 2002, with growth above the national average in six of the past eight years. Latest Australian Education International figures show that South Australia now holds 5.4 per cent of the national market share, up from 4 per cent in 2002.

“StudyAdelaide attends everything that has anything to do with the trade overseas,” Mr Bottrall said. “They are well equipped and well managed because they have the funds to do it.” Highlighting its expert approach, Education Adelaide was awarded the Public Relations Institute of Australia’s 2010 Golden Target Award for outstanding issues management in recognition of its strategy in dealing with challenges following attacks on Indian students.

Education Adelaide also won the International Education Association of Australia’s 2010 Best Practice Award for its Community and Student Support Program, which included a year-long calendar of free social events, competitions and information sessions.

“The program encourages students to become strong ambassadors for South Australia,” Education Adelaide chair Bill Spun said.

One of the ideas that arose from the Gold Coast Turning Point Forum in July was the creation of a hi-tech precinct that could tap into the knowledge base of the education sector. Ms Jackson said it was inevitable that as the city’s reputation for knowledge grew, so would the arrival of businesses.

“Knowledge transfer is a major draw,” she said. “An example is Griffith’s work on health. Through it, we’ll get knowledge-intensive industries that will build up a health and knowledge precinct around the campus.” Such precincts also ensure that more students remain on the Gold Coast after graduating.

“We turn out exceptional graduates but they leave for greener pastures,” Ms Jackson said. “Our university has strategies to hold on to those graduates but a concerted effort is going to have to come from the community.” The emergence of a Knowledge City will also bring a demographic shift to the community, with the education sector attracting employees who are well-educated, relatively high-income earners and not as transient as some.

“You’re also going to attract more families, which means more houses, more shopping centres, more fulltime jobs,” Mr Bottrall said.

“We need the city to wake up and realise there is a wonderful opportunity to brand the city not just as afun city, but one for learning and living.

“All we need is to get behind it and give it some money.

“And if we don’t do it, another city of our size will.” NEXT Make education promotional funding a local election issue Raise the awareness among Gold Coast people of the city’s educational assets Empower StudyGoldCoast in the same way StudyAdelaide has been empowered Actively seek and embrace overseas students Promote our research and our graduates to corporations and companies on the Coast and those thinking of moving here

Caption Text:
Promoting education in Adelaide is responsible for tripling the number of international students choosing to study there since 2002.

National Skills Week has been created to raise the status of Vocational Education and Training in Australia. Everyone should get involved as of the 1st of October, here is what it’s all about…

Taken from the National Skills Week website:

Sen. Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, will officially launch National Skills Week at the National Press Club in Canberra on 21 September 2011.

National Skills Week is a new initiative; a collaborative approach dedicated to raising the status of practical and vocational learning, enabling all Australians to gain a greater understanding of the opportunities, their potential and how they contribute to a successful, modern economy.
Australian Apprenticeships, especially traditional trades, are an undervalued career choice and are often described in negative terms, something that Chief Executive of SkillsOne, Brian Wexham, believes needs to be addressed.

“National Skills Week will bring to life the positive messages associated with learning a trade, highlighting the talents, the skills and the value of apprentices and trainees across Australia to the wider public and employers,” Mr Wexham said.

“Learning by doing is as important as academic learning- there are many paths to success.”

Some of the activities currently being planned to celebrate National Skills Week include Group Training Organisations hosting information sessions to highlight the wide array of choices in Vocational Education, through to competitions showcasing the diversity of skills taught by Registered Training Organisations.  One very creative idea by TAFE involves students doing a complete makeover of a family from hairdressing, beauty and fashion, through to landscaping their home as a way of demonstrating the breadth of courses available through TAFE.

The week also coincides with the International WorldSkills Competition being held in London.  Australia has a team of 29 elite skilled champions who will represent Australia against 54 other nations.

SkillsOne Television has developed comprehensive programming schedule to showcase the variety and opportunities available through vocational education.

National Skills Week Website.

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Has the keyboard become mightier than the pen?

What do you think?

Has the key board replaced hand writing and it therefore should teaching hand writing no longer be mandatory in primary and secondary schools?

Could your organisation operate without hand writing skills?

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The article included an interview with our MD, Mr Nick Bottrall, by Lucy Arden from the Gold Coast Bulletin.

The Gold Coast Bulletin has kindly given us permission to re-publish the article, below.

Education Lift Off

THE health and education sectors have become crucial economic drivers of the Gold Coast as industries like construction and retail are battered by the financial downturn.
Figures released by the Gold Coast City Council’s economic development branch showed health care and education were among the top five industries for the Coast this year and took out the top two positions when it came to increased job numbers for the year ending February 2011.
More than 35,000 people are now employed on the Gold Coast in health and more than 20,000 in education and training, while the construction sector is still clinging to top position for the number of people employed at 36,900, with retail dropping to third spot with 35,200 employees.
The growth at Griffith University has been responsible for some of the boost to the education sector, with the university adding staff to cope with a rise in student numbers of almost 30 per cent in four years to more than 17,000.  Associate Professor Glenn Finger said the increasing importance of the health and education sectors would continue.
“We were playing catch-up a few years ago trying to build on these sectors,” he said.
“The Gold Coast will become known as the health and knowledge powerhouse in the future.”
The council’s Economic Development and Major Projects director Darren Scott said the two areas had been targeted before the global financial crisis as potential growth industries for the city.
“Our goal was to ensure there was a more diversified economy on the Gold Coast,” he said.
“We saw issues with how heavily the city relied on construction and tourism.
“You just have to look at how bad things are in Cairns at the moment to see what we were trying to avoid.”
But Councillor Susie Douglas said she was surprised given several English language colleges had closed after the shake-up of student visa rules by the Federal Government.
Cr Douglas said additional money had been provided to the education sector in the latest council budget to target more international students.
This is a task that will be driven by Study Gold Coast head Nick Bottrall from EIM Training.
“It is the right time to start looking at this because the international education sector will come back and we want to be well-positioned when it does,” Mr Bottrall said.
He said he would like to see the Gold Coast’s marketing slogan changed from “Famous for Fun” to “A Fun and Leading-edge Learning City”.
“We have great universities here and we should be really promoting that along with what a great place it is,” he said.
There are four universities, 64 state schools, 32 private schools and 160 registered training organisations.

Top 5 industries based on employment
1. Construction – 36,900 workers
2. Health Care and Social Assistance – 35,900 workers
3. Retail Trade – 35,200 workers
4. Accommodation and Food Services – 24,900
5. Education and Training – 20,600 workers
Top 5 industries by employment growth
1. Health Care and Social Assistance – 9500 workers
2. Education and Training – 4500 workers
3. Administrative and Support Services – 3700 workers
4. Public Administration and Safety – 3300 workers
5. Professional, Scientific and Technical Services – 2900 workers
Top 5 industries by flow-on economic value
1. Education and Training
2. Health Care and Social Assistance
3. Public Administration and Safety
4. Finance and Insurance
5. Retail Trade
*figures to 12 months ending February 2011

The current funding arrangements are due to finish on the 30 June 2012.

IPSP Discussion Paper and the Response template available on the DEEWR website.

The close date for feedback on the IPSP is 11 July 2011.