July PD Update
Upcoming PD events, call for Ed-Tech Symposium abstracts, draft Conference program, and more.
CEO Report April 2024
It’s been another very busy month! We’ve seen further announcements from the government of changes and reviews, including the list of pathway courses exempted from the increase to English language proficiency levels and the commencement of a review of the migration points system.
CEO Report March 2024
March has seen the continuation of challenges and poor outcomes in terms of Australia’s student visa regime. Extensive and widespread delays have continued to cause uncertainty and have seen many students miss their first-semester course intakes. At the same time, student visa applications have continued to see inconsistent decision-making with very high refusal rates in certain key markets and generic explanations for these refusals.
CEO Report February 2024
My first month as CEO of English Australia has been a busy one! I jumped straight in on day one with the Department of Education’s Integrity Stakeholder Forum’. This was a consultation with key stakeholders on a number of proposed changes to the statutory framework of international education. That set the scene and I’ve been working daily on advocating for optimising these reforms for English Australia member colleges and their students since. As I’m sure you’re all very aware, visa processing and grant rates have been front and centre once again.I’ve also been reaching out to member colleges to arrange meetings and campus visits as part of the ‘Meet the English Australia CEO’ initiative. Please see below for more details.Meanwhile, English Australia has also been busy gathering data for the Annual ELICOS survey, registering colleges to participate in the ELT Barometer, coordinating nationwide PD Fests, holding a board meeting, electing a new English Australia Board member, and much, much more!
CEO Report January 2024
I am thrilled to have officially commenced my new role as CEO of English Australia. It’s an honour and a privilege to serve English Australia, its members, and the ELT sector in Australia. I look forward to getting around the country in the coming months to visit member colleges, attend branch meetings, and meet with you all.I’m conscious as I write this report of the big shoes I have to fill and have enormous gratitude for the efforts and support of the amazing Brett Blacker, both for his work as CEO and for his support in preparing me to take over the role. I’d also like to express my thanks to the Secretariat, the Board, and the many members who have already been in touch, for the very warm and supportive welcome.Please read the full CEO report for updates on developments in migration, the federal government’s international education strategy, details on the new National ELICOS survey and the ELT Barometer survey, the state PD Fests for 2024, and more.
CEO Report November 2023
It has been another busy month filled with the gamut of activities that come with the role. Please find the update on brief update on activities below and I hope to see you at the upcoming branch meetings.
CEO Report October 2023
From releasing our latest research report on diversification, important updates on government inquiries, and our own advocacy achievements to our first-ever hybrid AGM, October has been a significant month for English Australia. This CEO report also provides highlights on the Associations’ governance, professional development and market development activities.Plus, I take the opportunity to thank all of English Australia’s members for their continued support over the years, as I prepare for my departure as CEO in the new year.
CEO Report September 2023
In this month’s CEO Report, I reflect on the success of our 2023 Annual English Australia Conference, which celebrated our 40th Anniversary. I have continued to advocate for our members at the DHA EVCC meeting, and whilst some concerns remain, we had a major win with the end of the Pandemic Activity 408 visa.Members have been able to hear the latest market insights in Latam from our Austrade colleagues, and we proudly released the latest edition of the Journal. Lastly, a reminder of our upcoming Annual General Meeting (19 October 2023).Please find more details in the full CEO report.
CEO report August 2023
We are excited to be hosting the 2023 English Australia Conference in Sydney this week, celebrating 40 years of quality and innovation in ELICOS. It is wonderful to see the many faces of our member colleges and VIPs of the sector together. The conference program is packed with engaging sessions focusing across areas of Regulation, Assessment, Teaching & Learning, Management, Student & Staff Support Student & Staff, alongside the plenaries featuring prominent national and international speakers. The conference also provides a wonderful opportunity to mark the special milestone of our 40th Anniversary.
CEO report July 2023
English Australia has focused on advocacy efforts on the potential impacts of the Migration review this month, along with continued calls for the cessation of the 408 Visa. Our CEO represented our members at the recent PIE Live Australia event, and our Head of Professional Development delivered a successful Mental Health Symposium. We are busily ramping up preparations for our conference next month and have been capturing the voices of some amazing individuals as part of our 40th Anniversary projects.
