Study in Queensland: Government to spend millions to attract foreign students

THE State Government is ramping up its efforts to lure foreign students to Queensland, unveiling a new campaign to spruik our education sector across key markets.

THE State Government is ramping up its efforts to lure foreign students to Queensland, unveiling a new campaign to spruik our education sector across key Asian markets.

The number of international students studying at universities, TAFE Queensland and private colleges has soared by 12 per cent over the last year, making education our second largest services export after tourism.

Minister Kate Jones will today unveil the new “Start here. Go Anywhere” campaign by Study Queensland, designed to sell Queensland as a study destination to wealthy students in China, India, southeast Asia and South Korea.

“International education is worth more than $4 billion to our economy every year,” Ms Jones said. “That’s why we’re investing more than $25 million in this space to grow our international education sector.”

Ms Jones will commit $700,000 to 13 international education projects across the state, including funding to continue the Brisbane Student Hub, a drop-in service for foreign students, and a new initiative to market the Queensland tertiary and VET sector in South Korea.

The international student market currently supports around 20,000 jobs across the state and the Government wants to increase this to 25,000 by 2026.

TAFE Queensland said South America was also an important emerging region for international VET students, with the numbers of Brazilian and Colombian students studying across its campuses soaring by 73 per cent and 54 per cent respectively over the last year.

Across the whole Queensland VET sector, which includes both TAFE and private colleges, Brazil and Colombia have now joined South Korea, India and Taiwan as the state’s top markets.

Bruno Berger Coelho, 36, moved to Queensland last year to study carpentry because he saw it as a safe place which offered a good lifestyle.

“I think Australia is safe, and it is the country of opportunity, if you work hard you can be successful,” he said.