China continues to be Queensland’s largest source country for international student enrollments. The major focus for Chinese students in Queensland is university with the ELICOS sector showing a steady increase since 2012.

Queensland’s competitive strengths include the universities’ acceptance of Gaokao (national college entrance exam scores), the Post-Study Work Visa and the depreciation of the Australian dollar.

China is also becoming a competitor as the government plans to strengthen its vocational education through national reforms. The government is set on welcoming 500,000 international students by 2020.

Brazil is the 3rd largest student source for Queensland, while Colombia is the 7th largest source country. Brazil and Colombia are the 2nd and 3rd largest markets for ELICOS students after China. Queensland’s performance in Brazil is 2nd only to NSW. For Colombia, Queensland is 2nd to Victoria in terms of market share. Brazil is the 3rd largest VET market for Queensland.

India has largely been a vocational education and training market, rather than a university market. It is Queensland’s 2nd largest source country for international students. Increasingly, India is becoming a strong source for the Higher Education sector, with university commencements year to date November 2015 increasing approximately four times compared to the same period in the previous year.

An additional line of opportunity in India lies in the provision of workforce skills programs with India aiming to upskill 600 million nationals by 2022. Training is required for a wide range of industries including resources and mining, retails service training, food security and health/aged care training.

In 2015, South Korea was Queensland’s 4th largest source country for international students and it is the second largest source country for VET students studying in Queensland. The majority of South Korean international students were in the VET sector, followed by the ELICOS sector. Unfortunately, Higher Education enrolments have shown a steady decline since 2012.

Taiwan has shifted from a traditionally Higher Education market to a VET and ELICOS market for Queensland. By 2015, Taiwan is the 5th largest source market for Queensland VET with a growth rate close to 3 times compared to 2012. Queensland has the most Taiwanese students studying in Australia.

Japan is the 6th top source market for international students studying in Queensland. Queensland is the 2nd most preferred destination for Japanese students in Australia and the most popular state for Japanese high school students. 4,052 Japanese students had enrolled in Queensland in 2015 as at the end of November.

Japan is Queensland’s 6th largest source market, including: 2,043 in English language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS); 1,127 in Vocational Education and Training (VET); 431 in Higher Education institutions; and 301 in Queensland schools.

TIQ’s education specialists take great pride in hosting delegates and education facilitators from all over the world when they visit Australia.

TIQ is very active in outbound missions to encourage and foster relationships with other nations and operators in the international education sector.

TIQ’s international education and training unit actively holds workshops and seminars throughout the year to promote the International Education and Training sector and provide information on the opportunities available to providers and students.

As a part of the international education sector TIQ endeavours to attend many of the exhibitions and seminars held worldwide.

• Study Queensland Website and online activities
• Study Queensland brochures and resources
• The Best Semester Abroad – Queensland, Australia 2016: competition in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Chile
• The Ultimate Gap Year – Queensland, Australia 2014/15: competition in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Brazil and Colombia.