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  • Student voices celebrate the NZ-ASEAN relationship

    ENZ has been running Student Voice since 2012, providing a platform for international students to share their experiences and views on studying in New Zealand.

    This year’s event was jointly run by ENZ and the MFAT, and domestic students were also invited to take part, in recognition of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and ASEAN. 

    Thirty international students representing all 10 ASEAN countries joined with the 10 New Zealand students who were recipients of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia, Understanding South East Asia programme. Together, the students took part in an interactive two-day programme aimed at better understanding the student experience. They heard from sector experts including Simon Chu from the University of Otago around the importance of alumni networks; Lester Khoo from Auckland University of Technology on how a New Zealand education can launch careers in ASEAN; and Jimmy Walsh from Beca on the value of ASEAN-NZ links in business.

    The students also had the opportunity to talk informally about their experiences.  We will share more on this in a later edition of E-news, but here are some of the comments for starters:

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    “Only when you are out of your comfort zone will you understand and learn many things, not just about your degree, but everything. It’s hard to not fall in love with New Zealand."

    “Studying in New Zealand has opened up my soul. The past two years at the University of Otago had a significant impact on my character building. The University of Otago has moulded me into a more expressive, responsible, and confident person. New Zealand has also taught me to seize the opportunities whenever you have a chance because you will never know where that opportunity might lead you.”

    My participation in ASEAN Student Voice 2015 only reinforced my belief that studying in NZ gives me that well-rounded academic experience that I can take home to enrich my contribution to Indonesia's development."

    A real community has built up around this year’s Student Voice, and participating students set up a Facebook page to keep their connections going.

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    The programme culminated in an evening reception attended by around 100 people, including Hon Steven Joyce, the students and their host institutions, officials on the English Language Training for Officials programme, Heads of ASEAN missions and government representatives as well as people from ENZ, MFAT and the Asia New Zealand Foundation.

    Students from Wainuiomata High School’s Kapa Haka Group, Te Tira Whakaau, brought New Zealand’s powerful cultural history alive with a performance at the reception. Te Tira Whakaau finished first overall in the regional secondary school Te Awakairangi ki Wairarapa Kapa Haka competition last month.

  • Go Overseas a go!

    “I’m very excited that we’ll be working with Go Overseas over the next three years,” says Amy Rutherford, International Market Manager, North America. “Their genuine love of both New Zealand and studying abroad, their innovative ideas, and the enthusiasm with which they embrace all that New Zealand has to offer is energising.”

    This year’s promotion will start in the US on 1 September and run for six weeks. “We’re excited about our continued partnership with ENZ for the next three years and beyond,” says Mitch Gordon, CEO Go Overseas. “New Zealand is a top destination for students around the world and we’re committed to continuing the growth in inbound numbers. This partnership fits well with the Go Overseas mission to increase opportunities for US students around the world. On a personal level, we love New Zealand and are passionate about sharing that enthusiasm with others.”

    More than 1,000 students from 615 US universities applied for the scholarship last year, with the successful student Emma Faucher studying at Victoria University of Wellington from February to June this year. Emma can be seen below with the pounamu she received for her excellent contributions to the Study in New Zealand Instagram page. New Zealand has seen significant growth in the number of US students this year, with a 23 percent increase in the number of US first time student visas in 2015 to date.

    Amy will be talking about the scholarship during her session at NZIEC 2015 tomorrow. However if you can’t be there and you have questions about the scholarship please email Amy amy.rutherford@enz.govt.nz and Mitch mitch@gooverseas.com.

  • Kāpiti College’s doors are always open

    With 83 students from 17 different countries currently enrolled, Kāpiti College’s international education programme is one of the largest in the Wellington region – no mean feat for a school ‘up the coast’ from Wellington city. 

    Theirs is an opportunities-focused approach, combined with strong ‘say yes, and work it out later’ attitude. Steve’s the first to admit it’s an approach that doesn’t suit everyone but, for now, it’s one that’s working for them.

    This open and proactive way of working has seen them develop an array of innovative teaching methods and programmes to the benefit of both local and visiting students, including those with learning disabilities.

    Interesting aspects and benefits of Kāpiti College’s programme include:

    International class

    Kāpiti College’s innovative approach to international education puts a strong emphasis on internationalising the Kiwi students, with a specialised ‘international’ class bring trialled this year.  This Year 10 class sees Kiwi students learn social studies and English through an international lens and learn the basics of Mandarin and Thai language. International students join the class as they arrive during the year.

    There is some competition to get into this class, with those who are successful being given the opportunity to travel to China and Thailand later in the year.

    One such student, Max Ross, was awarded a scholarship to spend three and a half weeks at Pibulwitthayalai School in Thailand. Steve Burt visited Thailand a short time later to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the school, formalising the partnership between the schools and creating the foundation for a long-term engagement.

    Pathways

    Other education providers in the region also reap the rewards of Kāpiti’s successful international programme, with many Kāpiti College students choosing to remain in the area and enrol with them.

    The aviation programme offered by the school in conjunction with Kāpiti Air Academy has proved just the hook to entice one of Kāpiti College’s international students to further his education in New Zealand.

    The school also offers academies for golf, swimming, basketball and rugby.

    Special programmes

    The flexible and open approach of Kāpiti College’s international team has seen them host foreign students with dyslexia and other learning challenges. The smaller class sizes and specialist teaching ensures these students aren’t left behind and they feel welcomed by their peers and the staff.

    Community engagement

    Kāpiti College’s programme is supported by a strong homestay community. This creates a real sense of welcome for the students and brings about a strong understanding within the community as a whole of the value of international education.

    The broad reach of the school’s engagement with the wider community has seen them build a strong relationship with a local Chinese real estate agent who acts as a willing ambassador for the college’s education programmes on her visits to China.

    Offshore government engagement

    Paul and Steve have worked at making good connections at a government level too, with the Thai Ambassador to New Zealand, H.E. Maris Sangiampongsa, recently visiting Kāpiti College and praising their achievements in teaching Thai language and culture. The Ambassador also invited the families of the 17 College students soon to travel to Thailand to visit The Royal Thai Embassy in Wellington where he will provide them with an orientation programme.

    The future looks bright for Kāpiti College’s ongoing success in it international programme but there’s one thing Steve is only too aware of: “We can’t take things for granted. It’s important to keep our eye on the ball as far as the student experience goes, as well as maintaining regular and meaningful contact with offshore stakeholders.”

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    H.E. Mr. Maris Sangiampongsa, Ambassador of Thailand to New Zealand meets with Kāpiti College’s International Thai Students

  • New postgraduate course in international education launched

    The first course starts on 16 November 2015, and finishes on 12 February 2016.

    E-News caught up with course co-lecturer, Chris Beard, on the development of the course.

    What students did you have in mind when developing the course?

    This course will assist international programme managers, principals, directors of study, ministry officials, teachers and lecturers who deal with significant numbers of international students and student support professionals. It provides an introduction to international developments in international education, key concepts with application to local contexts, fundamentals of intercultural communication and critical reflection on practice.

    How is the course the structured?

    International Education is an online 15 point course that can be taken as part of VUW’s Masters in Education (180 points) with options to complete a Postgraduate Certificate (60 points) and Postgraduate Diploma (120 points).

    VUW’s School of Education has excellent online courses which can be taken alongside International Education to complete these qualifications. Such courses include: Educational Leadership, Research Methods, Teaching Linguistically Diverse Students and Effective Mentoring and Coaching. More information can be found on our website here.

    Is the course delivered solely online?

    The course is delivered online and it is possible to complete a postgraduate qualification online. Other blended, on-campus courses are also available to those who prefer a face-to-face style of learning.

    What are your expectations for enrolments this year?

    Our surveying suggests there’s good demand for a course of this kind, and we’re hoping for around a dozen enrolments in the first cohort. A component of the course includes discussion on an online blog, which enables participants to draw on their professional experience and explore theory-to-practice.

    When do you expect your first graduate?

    The first graduates (postgraduate diploma and certificate) will potentially finish at the end of 2016 depending on whether students are full time or part time.

    Are there similar courses in other parts of the world that have been useful models for the development of this course?

    Points of reference have included Lesley University’s Master of International Higher Education and Intercultural Relations (US), University of Sydney’s MEd (International Education) and SIT Graduate Institute’s (US) MA (International Education).

    What are this course’s points of difference to others around the world?

    The uniqueness of this course is that it is tailored for educators, officials and professionals whose work depends on or is shaped by international education. It is designed to aid critical enquiry and evidence-based practice in an emerging field that is of increasing relevance to schools and tertiary education providers.

    A copy of the flyer for the International Education course can be found here.

    More information on the course can be found on the VUW website here.

    If you have any enquiries about the course please contact:

    Chris Beard Chris.Beard@vuw.ac.nz

    or

    Dr Stephanie Doyle Stephanie.Doyle@vuw.ac.nz

  • From forums to fashion shows – building the Viet Nam relationship

    With the dust now settled on the ministerial visit, we can look back at three productive days of strategic dialogue with a fashion focus. ENZ’s General Manager, International, Peter Bull, took the opportunity to accompany the Minister on the visit.

    “Viet Nam has proved to be a vibrant partner. The visit really re-affirmed the opportunities that exist for New Zealand institutions and for both our governments, to work even more closely together for mutual benefit and to grow the market in both directions,” said Peter.

    While the Minister’s presence at the fashion show grabbed headlines, it was the concept of the fashion collaboration that demonstrated true flair and innovation. Ten teams of one Vietnamese and one New Zealand student collaborated online for three months to design fusion concepts. The teams from Otago Polytechnic, Massey University, Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, AUT University, Ho Chi Minh City School of Architecture, and Ha Noi University of Industrial Arts only came together a few days ahead of the fashion show to finalise their designs.

    Minister Joyce was the guest of honour at the fashion show which did a great job of showcasing New Zealand’s creative education sector, and highlighting the growing ties between institutions in both countries. The Minister fronted a pre-show press conference alongside New Zealand officials and institutions, attracting substantial coverage on some of Viet Nam’s most popular media channels.

    Enjoying the two-hour show, the Minister tweeted:  “Excellent fashion, ex. Promotion 4 NZ in Vietnam. Congrats students @AUTuni @OtagoPolytec @MasseyUni @WhitecliffeArt”

    Nicola Luey from AUT University and Chu Khanh Vy from Hanoi’s University of Industrial Fine Arts won first prize worth NZ$2,000.

    Minister Joyce’s wider education programme sought to strengthen the New Zealand-Viet Nam relationship and profile New Zealand’s education offering. In meetings with the Vietnamese government including with his counterpart, Minister Luan, and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, it was clear that education is viewed as a key pillar of the collegial relationship between our two countries. The significant role of Zealand institutions in growing ties and realising opportunities was also very apparent.

    The visit included the signing of the renewed New Zealand-Viet Nam Education Cooperation Arrangement and a ceremony celebrating the graduation of students from the Bachelor of Computing and Information Sciences programme jointly delivered by AUT University and the University of Science, Viet Nam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.

    The visit coincided with the celebration of 40 years of friendship and diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and New Zealand, providing an opportunity to showcase our commitment to the relationship as well as our education expertise.

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    Above: Viet Nam AUT graduates

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    Above: Viet Nam Education Forum audience

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    Above: Viet Nam Fashion Show catwalk

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    Above: Viet Nam Fashion Show crowd

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    Above: Viet Nam Fashion Show winners

     

     

     

     

  • New Zealand education hits the airwaves in Brazil

    A radio competition was the latest initiative supported by ENZ to do just that in Brazil.

    The competition saw Latino International Studies partner with Radio Rock 89FM, leveraging the latter’s 30th anniversary celebrations to give the promotion a “30” theme: Comemore os 30 Anos da Rádio Rock na Nova Zelândia (celebrate Radio Rock’s 30th anniversary in New Zealand).

    To win: contestants needed to convince the judges – in a maximum of 30 words – why they were the most worthy recipients of the 30-day trip to New Zealand.

    The prize: was 30 days of English language learning course at Language Schools New Zealand in Queenstown including accommodation, insurance, air tickets and NZD1,000 in spending money.

    The lucky winner was Carolina Sant’ Ana, a 24-year old dentist from São Paulo. Her winning sentence was exactly 30 words in Portuguese and translates as: “I would use 30 words to convince LAE International Studies that 30 days in New Zealand would yield 30 years of memories and stories, as the 30 years of the Rock Radio.”

    An overjoyed Carolina received her prize at the New Zealand Consulate on commenting, “I can’t wait to visit New Zealand, to meet its lovely people and see its natural beauties. Definitely, it is a dream coming true”. She is planning to travel to New Zealand at the end of October.

    The results: The campaign ran from 21 May to 17 June and during this time:

    • New Zealand education was promoted to more than 2 million listeners
    • Two interviews were aired with the director of Latino International Studies, Sao Paulo to explain the competition and promote study in New Zealand
    • Almost 1,000 people from several Brazilian states entered the competition.

    Campaigns such as this offer invaluable opportunities to reach and engage with a huge audience of prospective students.

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    Above: Carolina Sant’Ana and her family holding her prize

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    Above: Carolina Sant’Ana and Guy Hughes (Language Schools New Zealand)

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    Above: Carolina Sant’Ana holding her prize

  • Hamilton accelerates industry growth

    Feedback both on- and off-line was positive, with 94 percent of attendees rating the conference good to excellent. Of those, 52 percent rated the conference very good and one in five rated it excellent. And 83 percent of delegates agreed or strongly agreed that NZIEC 2015 added value to their organisation.

    Here’s what you had to say about Conference:

    • “After going to these conferences for so long, they can be a bit repetitive but I really thought you did a brilliant job. You had really interesting sessions with fantastic speakers so I feel as though I definitely learned something from being there.”

    • “I found it informative, pitched at the right level, useful, entertaining, professional.”

    • “A great way to appreciate trends, see the bigger picture, and network extensively.”

    • “A super, snappy, and interesting conference.”

    • “The food was fabulous, could not be better. I liked the mix of inspirational addresses and best practice examples with solid information on markets and other useful information. Good to have special time just for schools and school issues, including SIEBA. The dinner was great, good food, good entertainment; thanks to the sponsor. Thanks ENZ you do a good job. The venue was great and the venue staff very helpful. It was good for us to have it in Hamilton.”

    • “It was the best NZIEC conference to date! It was all perfectly balanced between great speakers, excellent venue and dinner, and the chance to catch up with colleagues.”

    If you missed the conference, you can view all the presentations on the conference website. If you would like a copy of the Return on Investment templates that Komal Narayan presented in her sessions, email intelligence@enz.govt.nz.And, you can get up to speed with the Lightning Innovation session courtesy of The Waikato Times.If you didn’t manage to buy one of Catherine De Vrye’s books before they sold out, you can order them from Fishpond.co.nz. Search for Hot Lemon and Honey, Hope Happens, and Hope as My Compass.

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  • South and South East Asia fair season off to flying start!

    More Malaysian students studying in New Zealand this year

    After a two-year hiatus ENZ successfully reintroduced the New Zealand Education Fair in to Malaysia to boost New Zealand’s profile in the market. Attracting almost 800 visitors, the fair was a marked success on the 2013 event which hosted around 100 visitors. With an overwhelming number of prospective students quickly filling the room, the ENZ team managed the influx by spontaneously hosting two “Studying in New Zealand” seminars outside the main function room.

    The fair was well supported by New Zealand education institutions and had a strong NZ Inc flavour, being opened by New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Dr John Subritzky.

    “Education is a critical part of our ever-growing relationship with Malaysia, and we are proud of our long history of providing education opportunities for Malaysians. It’s great to see more Malaysian students choosing New Zealand as their education destination, especially as this creates life-long connections between our two countries,” said Dr Subritzky.

    A prize-giving ceremony for the winners of ENZ’s ‘Think New’ Essay Writing competition and the New Zealand Marketing Strategy competition was also held. As part of his prize, the winner of the marketing strategy competition, UCSI University student Eric Kong, arrived in New Zealand recently to start his four-week internship with the Choose New Zealand alliance. We’ll bring you an update on how Eric and the other competition winners are going in the next issue of E-News.

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     Winners of “Think New” Essay Writing and New Zealand Marketing Strategy competitions receiving their certificates and prizes.

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    AboveAaaaGuests at the New Zealand Alumni Function and Networking Event in Kuala Lumpur.

    ENZ hosted an alumni reception the evening before the fair at the Residence of the New Zealand High Commission. Institutions networked with past students and with new and existing education agents.

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    H.E. Dr. John Subritzky presented a token of appreciation to the alumni who participated in Alumni Voices project.

    The alumni reception presented an opportunity to thank two of the Malaysia alumni who took part in ‘Alumni Voices’, a project celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and ASEAN, by profiling successful alumni who credit their New Zealand education with having a strong and positive impact on their lives.

    India’s events campaign leverages the Fleming brand

    Fourteen events in 10 days – ENZ’s India team has been running on pure adrenalin to deliver a series of powerful promotional events in India and Sri Lanka, centred around the flagship fairs held across India last month.

    As part of ENZ’s wider SSEA team, ENZ India is the second team in the region to hold its New Zealand Education Fairs for the August – October season. Leveraging the profile of New Zealand Education Brand Ambassador and international cricket legend Stephen Fleming has again been a successful approach in extending New Zealand’s reach into the vast student population in India.

    ENZ India Country Manager, Jugnu Roy, worked closely with Stephen Fleming to make the most of his strong following.

    “Stephen’s brand is New Zealand’s brand – it’s about integrity, about being open and about connecting across borders. Importantly, Stephen has also made it fundamentally about the value of a New Zealand education because he understands both what we are trying to achieve and also how much his New Zealand education helped his career.”

    Using the New Zealand education fairs as the centre piece of New Zealand’s key promotional season in South Asia, the India team also delivered a series of related profile-raising activities including networking events, and round table sessions with close to 40 school principals from prominent secondary and international schools. Stephen also visited leading institutions, including top-ranked universities such as Delhi University and SRM University in Chennai where he addressed more than 2000 students. The immediate result of this visit was the flow of quality SRM students to the Chennai New Zealand Education Fair later that week.

    The fairs themselves appealed to a good pool of potential quality students, attracting over 1200 students in total. With more than 25 prominent New Zealand institutions meeting prospective students at the fairs, the New Zealand value proposition was positively championed.

    Sri Lanka has been an important market in the South Asia region, and ENZ introduced a ‘university only’ school roadshow for the first time to stimulate the market. The university representatives hadan opportunity to interact with secondary school students of two top international schools of this island country.

    Overall, New Zealand’s promotional events in India and Sri Lanka in August reached over 7,000 people.

    With New Zealand education fairs and associated events still to come in Thailand, Viet Nam and Indonesia, the SSEA team is continuing to ramp up fair fever across the region. They are always well-supported by Immigration New Zealand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and, of course, the all-important industry providers

    “South Asia and South East Asia is an enormous region and it’s an important region for international education. Our team members from Indonesia right up to India are committed to providing first-class events to raise the profile of New Zealand. Fair season is an exceptionally busy time for us and we’re always focused on providing the best events we can for New Zealand’s institutions.” Said Ziena Jalil, ENZ’s Regional Director SSEA.

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    ENZ Brand Ambassador, Stephen Fleming welcoming students at the Delhi fair

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    Students at the Delhi fair

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    AUT University and others at the Chennai fair

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    ENZ Brand Ambassador Stephen Fleming having a photo moment with students of Somaiya Institutes in Mumbai

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    Selfies with potential students at the New Delhi fair

  • Industry survey results 2015

    This year’s survey focused on the services and support delivered by ENZ. We asked you which ENZ services you have used, how important you find them to support your business objectives, and what you think of our performance in delivering them.

    The 304 survey responses we received have provided a wealth of data which we are using to refine and improve our industry service and support offerings.  

    What you told us

    Overall, you indicated you were largely satisfied with ENZ services. Eighty-one percent of respondents were satisfied the quality of ENZ’s services and support, and 70 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that ENZ services had added value to their organisation.

    Overall country reports and market intelligence were considered the most important ENZ service, followed by the International Education Snapshot Reports.

    The Education Publishers Export Growth Strategy was considered the best performing service, while Virtual Fairs was considered the weakest.

    Of all ENZ’s services and support for industry, E-News was consistently rated highly.  

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    25What we’re focused on

    We’re using the survey information to drive improvements across our industry service and support offerings. In addition to a range of planned changes to improve individual services, we plan to work on the following:

    • A move to differentiated services: For the first time ENZ has been able to understand the industry survey results by sector, job function, and scale of international education provision. Not surprisingly there is a clear message from the survey that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to providing industry services needs to change in order to improve the quality, value add and relevance of ENZ services. Accordingly a key focus for us in the coming year will be to better differentiate our service and support offerings to meet the diverse needs of a range of sectors and providers
    • Support for small and regionally-based institutions: We asked survey respondents to suggest what services and support ENZ should start offering to encourage their business growth. Nearly one in five responses related to enhanced support for smaller providers and for those located outside of the main centres. A second priority for us out to June 2016 is to develop a suite of online tools that can meet this need. We have started development of a prototype online toolkit with the input and guidance of a number of providers.
    • Enhanced communications: We also asked survey respondents to identify what ENZ could do to make our services and support more relevant. Thirty-eight percent of responses identified better communications and engagement. Stay tuned for the next issue of E-News which will feature a new and improved approach to our key communications channel. And don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn.
    • Market intelligence: Just behind enhanced communications, nearly one fifth of survey respondents identified better and timelier market intelligence as a key support need. We know you value country reports and market intelligence and are working on initiatives to provide more information, available online and in ways that suit industry needs.
    • Agent programme: The ENZ Recognised Agent Programme was one of the lowest rated ENZ services in respect of our performance. As indicated in previous issues of E-News, we have commissioned an external review of the ENZRA Programme. Results from that review are expected shortly and will be used as the basis for considering how to address the perceived issues with the programme.
    • Seminars and professional development events: We’re working to reshape how we deliver our seminars and professional development events to better meet the diverse needs of different sectors and to add more value through a more differentiated approach. This may involve better utilising the time of participants by offering several related topics on the same day.  

    The next Industry Survey will be held in June 2016. If you have any questions regarding the Industry Survey, please contact Sam Mackay.  

    Summary of results by sector

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  • International students in Dunedin get connected

    ‘Get Connected’ was a networking evening to launch the Job Ready Programme, which prepares international students for the transition from study to work through improving their skills and confidence in approaching prospective employers.

    Job Ready is a free, extracurricular programme designed for any tertiary international student studying in the Dunedin region. The aim of the programme is to give participants an in-depth understanding of working culture and expectations in New Zealand, and to help them develop skills that will aid them in New Zealand workplaces.

    “For many International students in New Zealand, networking is a scary and foreign business practice,” says Job Ready Coordinator, Madison Stumbles. “We wanted to create a new cultural norm – for students and businesses – where networking isn’t scary and international students have the confidence to engage with businesses looking to utilise the skills they have to offer.”

    The programme has been developed with the support of ENZ’s Regional Partnership Programme, Enterprise Dunedin, Otago Polytechnic, the University of Otago and the Otago Chamber of Commerce. 

    The event saw 15 international Job Ready ‘graduates’ engage with the potential employers in a positive and enriching atmosphere. The Minister of Immigration, Hon Michael Woodhouse, delivered the keynote speech and was joined by Education New Zealand’s Greg Scott and Enterprise Dunedin’s Export Education Coordinator, Sarah Gauthier and representatives of Dunedin’s international education providers.

    A strong turnout at the event demonstrated the level of commitment to international education in the city, and the strong understanding among all attendees of the way in which the Job Ready Programme can support local businesses in globalising their operations by creating links to skilled, international talent.

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    Job Ready Graduate with PhD student and AD Instruments representative, Pramuk Perera.

    About the programme

    In the lead up to the event, a pilot group of 15 international students from Otago Polytechnic and the University of Otago underwent the six-week intensive Job Ready programme.

    Confidence building was the main focus over the six weeks, with a strong emphasis placed on enabling the students to polish their professional networking skills. Several interactive seminars were facilitated by members of the Dunedin business and education community, with one popular session on ‘How to network’ led by Gallaway Cook Allan’s, Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Gorman.

    At the end of the six-week programme, students were proactively arranging meetings to talk to professionals with business interests in their field of study, and two had successfully secured employment for the following year.

    With more study ahead of them, the remainder of the students credited the Job Ready Programme with boosting their confidence in finding work in New Zealand after graduation.

    “I got what I needed out of this programme – confidence, knowledge [and] a better network of potential employers,” said one participant.

    “I would like to thank those who made this programme successful as it has given us a good insight into skills and abilities to work on, which are not usually taught in university,” stated another.

    Feedback from business participants was also incredibly positive. “I overheard Roger Belton from Southern Clams commenting on how these students were so capable, and on how they could help their businesses grow into new markets,” said Sarah Gauthier, Export Education Coordinator.  “He really enjoyed meeting the students and hearing how their international business skills and multiple language abilities would help his business grow into places like Thailand and Malaysia.”

    Local Dunedin businesses represented at the event included ADInstruments, Southern Clams, PocketSmith, Mixbit, Myth, Firebrand, ANZ and Cook Wong Accountants. There was also international business representation from the Carraway Group, a Hong Kong-based financial services firm.

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    Job Ready Coordinator Madison Stumbles with Minister Woodhouse as they presented each student with their frame able Job Ready completion certificate, signed by Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull.

    Next steps

    Planning for the next phase of the project is underway, with the next six-week programme being open to all international tertiary students in Dunedin and having an even stronger focus on engagement with local businesses.

    “I am really looking forward to see what phase two can do for Dunedin’s international students,” said Sarah Gauthier. “Secondary school engagement will be a priority and Job Ready intends to utilise the support received in the first phase to develop comprehensive material that will be applicable to all businesses and international students in New Zealand.”

    Think you’d like to do something similar in your region?  Sarah, Madison, and the Job Ready Programme partners are only too happy to share their learnings and provide hints and tips from their experience.

    Email Sarah in the first instance: sarah.gauthier@dcc.govt.nz

     

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