Skills Minister launches drive to increase UK education exports
Skills Minister Matthew Hancock has launched a new unit to tap burgeoning demand for UK education from countries such as India.
Called Education UK, the group’s 10 person team will aim to capitalise on the UK’s excellent reputation for education across the world.
UK education exports are currently worth more than £14bn every year, but the government expects this will soar to £22.5bn by 2020 and to £27bn by 2025.
Hancock said: “It is essential that we realise the potential of the largely untapped resource that is our education exports. There is a fast-growing demand for high-quality education, and we are lucky to have a dynamic and entrepreneurial sector that is well placed to contribute.
“We are in a global race and other countries are presenting attractive and co-ordinated offers, so Education UK is a vital step in bringing together the UK sector to drive its international engagement, particularly on high-value opportunities.”
Education UK will work on:
- Researching, identifying and helping to develop trading opportunities for UK exports
- Supporting UK providers to respond effectively to targeted international opportunities, by fostering the development of UK consortia for specific opportunities and helping them to prepare and promote bids
- Ensuring large-scale complex commercial opportunities, which the UK is not currently well-equipped to respond to, are effectively pursued so UK organisations win the business.
Natalie Thornhill
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