Chilean Education Market Opportunities and Strategies Brenda Wills - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Chilean Education Market Opportunities and Strategies Brenda Wills 2014 CAPS-I Conference Victoria, British Columbia May 26-27 2014

C OUNTRY K EY F IGURES Population (April 2013 ): 16,634,603 Urban: 14,462,858 / Rural: 2,171,745 Greater Santiago area: 6,685,685 Strong and stable economy Inflation rate: 3.5% (March 2014) Consistent economic growth and development make it an attractive destination for student recruitment

S UMMARY OF THE MARKET : Education is a top priority for the new Chilean Government Education is seen as a vehicle for social mobility Study abroad opportunities in great demand at both secondary and post-secondary level, as well as language training Market of highly qualified students, low English/French level Students value face-to- face contact (“handholding”) Perception of Canada as a safe though far away country with severe climate and little to offer in terms of activities and entertainment

M ARKET S IZE Constantly increasing number of Chileans studying in Canada No. of Chilean students in Canada 2013: 512; 324 Study permit applications; 379 SX-1 (short-term studies, ESL/FSL) TR visas Since 2008: Creation of scholarships to develop human capital Canada’s main competitors in Chile’s education market are other English-speaking OECD countries (USA, UK, AUS, NZ) Other popular destinations: Spain, France, Germany

K-12 Significant growth in demand for short and long term exchanges over the past 3 years Short term: 2-3 months (preferably during Chilean summer months: January and February) Pinguinos sin Fronteras : Scholarship program for high school students (CORFO, agency under the Ministry of Economy) Greater affluence, the rise of the middle class, a more competitive labour market, and greater access to credit all favor a rising demand

C OMMUNITY C OLLEGES , T ECHNICAL I NSTITUTE AND CEGEP High demand for technical skills in local labour market For cultural reasons, students are more inclined to pursue university studies rather than at college/technical institutes Opportunities for Canadian colleges to partner with Técnicos para Chile (2-year study abroad opportunity, full scholarship). Priority areas: Mining, Mechanics, Health, Renewable Energies, Agricultural Industry, Telecommunications Low level English/French skills

U NIVERSITY (U NDERGRADUATE S TUDIES ) Little, but growing demand for full undergraduate studies Independence of Chilean youth at later age Some Chilean universities held in high regard Emerging Leaders of the Americas and Leadership Canada- Chile scholarship programs: Short-term exchanges facilitated through institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements between Canadian and Chilean institutions Numerous student exchange agreements between Chilean and Canadian post-secondary institutions

U NIVERSITY (G RADUATE S TUDIES ) High Demand for Master studies Becas Chile provides full scholarships for Master’s and Doctorate studies abroad Letter of Acceptance needed for Becas Chile Preference for prestigious and well-known universities (USA and UK)

L ANGUAGE P ROGRAMS (ESL/FSL) High demand for ESL (young professionals) Private agents act as intermediaries Limited demand for FSL International Experience Canada Program Duration: max. 1 year Enables to travel, study (max. 6 months) and work (max. 1 year) 18-35 years 750 spots for 2014 725 Working Holiday (waiting list) 15 Young Professionals 10 International Co-op

M ARKET E NTRY C ONSIDERATIONS Open business environment Embassy of Canada main actor in Chile for promotion 2-3 major recruitment fairs per year Long term studies require study permit Service standard: 5-15 days Visa Application Centre (VAC)

L ATIN A MERICAN T OUR 2014 S ANTIAGO DE C HILE O CTOBER 3-4 F RIDAY , O CTOBER 3 M ARKET B RIEFING N ETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES WITH LOCAL INSTITUTIONS S ATURDAY , O CTOBER 4 RECRUITMENT FAIR T ARGET AUDIENCE : K-12, POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS AND ACCREDITED LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

CONTACT INFORMATION B RENDA W ILLS – T RADE COMMISSIONER ( EDUCATION ) BRENDA . WILLS @ INTERNATIONAL . GC . CA A LEXANDRA B UCHER – ACADEMIC AFFAIRS C OORDINATOR ALEXANDRA . BUCHER @ INTERNATIONAL . GC . CA