Education sector value on the rise
CAIRNS BENEFITS FROM THE CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC DIVERSITY THAT COMES WITH OVER 32,000 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS VISITING EACH YEAR FOR THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION.
CAROL DOYLE STUDY Cairns is recognised by government and industry as the peak body representing the international education and training sector in Cairns.
We are a not-for-profit membership-based organisation that is a consortia representing all sectors of our industry, from schools, English language and vocational colleges and universities, to support services including the accommodation sector, immigration services, transport and the tourism sector.
The international education and training strategy to advance Queensland from 2016 to 2026 recognises Study Cairns as a regional study organisation that plays an important role in building the sector in our regional community.
Established in 1997 as an international study cluster, we have thrived as a representative body for international education and training businesses in the Cairns region.
We facilitate business development opportunities for our members through networking, resource sharing and advocacy. Our focus is:
■ To build brand awareness and to promote the region internationally as the leading regional education city for international students in the Asia Pacific;
■ To provide sustainable growth for the sector and build relationships with stake- holders to build capacity, resources and infrastructure and to support education and training in the region;
■ To provide support and be an advocate for the international education and training sector in the region.
What’s our role and the role of other groups in promoting the benefits of future growth to our members and the wider business community?
In 2016, Queensland’s International Education and Training industry generated more than $2.9 billion in export revenue and supported almost 20,000 jobs, making it the state’s second largest service export.
In 2014, IET generated more than $150 million for the Cairns economy and directly generated more than 1050 jobs.
Education is now viewed by local business and the community as an important pillar of the Cairns economy.
Cairns benefits from the cultural and economic diversity that comes with over 32,000 international students visiting Cairns each year for the purpose of education.
Our welcoming and multicultural community benefits from increased tourism, from both students themselves and their visiting friends and families, and also by providing other goods and services to the education industry.
Over the 20 years since Study Cairns was established, the biggest growth in the sector has been over the past three to five years, particularly in the private vocational education and training sector, with the game-changer the establishment of a second university.
As international student numbers continue to grow, with an anticipated growth rate over the next three years of a minimum of 5 per cent per annum, the city will also see a growth in the support services needed, with student accommodation being at the forefront to meet the anticipated demand.
- Carol Doyle is president of Study Cairns