A new strategy aimed at boosting the number of international students and increasing the $52million, which export education brings to the Western Bay, is being introduced.

Education Tauranga, the joint learning institution and marketing organisation, is being given a boost from Education NZ to help fund its goal to grow international education in Tauranga by 15 per cent by 2017.

Education Tauranga chairman, Graeme Lind, is welcoming funding to employ a chief executive to target overseas markets and attract students.

To do this Education Tauranga will receive funding to employ a new chief executive from January 2014, who will work to promote the region to overseas students and businesses.

The funding comes as a result of a joint six-month project by Education Tauranga and Priority One to produce a targeted strategy and action plan to get more international students to Tauranga.
Education Tauranga Chairman, Graeme Lind, says the organisation has been working on a shoestring using precious volunteers, and welcomes the funding as a way to boost numbers.

'Nationally, numbers of international students from Korea and Japan are down. Tauranga needs to buck this trend and agents are working hard in the South Korea market to do this.”

Graeme says the funds will go towards employing a CEO on a three-year contract, with the hope to start in January 2014.

'That person will be able to increase our student numbers and work with stakeholders to promote Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.”

'It will be great to have a dedicated person to coordinate the activities.”

Graeme says Education Tauranga markets the Western Bay as a destination for international students throughout the world, including to United States, Europe, China, Thailand and Japan.

Graeme says there are 700 international students in Tauranga that bring in about $52million a year to the Western Bay economy. This contributes to the $2.5billion brought into the national economy each year by international students, which make up New Zealand's fifth largest source of export income.

There is also scope to attract international tertiary students with the new planned university campus on Durham St in the city, says Graeme.

'Developing the strategy has been a collaborative effort, and has marked the beginning of a new relationship between Education Tauranga and the city.

Graeme thanks Priority One for its support in developing the vision and direction needed to grow the international education market in Tauranga.

'Priority One was instrumental in helping achieve buy-in and financial support from Education New Zealand, which will allow us to implement our strategy and business plan.”
Priority One strategic projects manager Greg Simmonds says the strategy was developed from the ground up, with strong input from local education providers, but says it's about more than just the attraction of international students.

'It's about marketing Tauranga and the Western Bay to an international audience and building long term relationships that will ultimately result in the sub-region being a destination of choice for skilled people and the businesses that need them, as well as the potential for increased visitation from international tourists,” says Greg.
Education Tauranga also receives a funding contribution from Tauranga City Council to support its sister city relationships with Yantai in China and Hitachi in Japan.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby says there is significant opportunity to build the region's reputation as a quality destination for international students, particularly in light of the planned CBD tertiary precinct.