Tiffany Egler, Director Agent Relations
ICEF AGENT SERVICES:
ICEF AGENT TRAINING COURSES
THE ICEF AGENCY RECOGNITION PROGRAMME
ICEF Dubai 2020
February 10, 120
Agenda
Agent Training
● i-graduate ICEF Agent Barometer - training results
● Purpose
● Development and status
● The ICEF Agent Training Course (IATC)
● The China Education Agent Course (CEAC)
● Canada Course for Education Agents (CCEA)
● The US Agent Training Course (USATC)
● The Irish Education Agents Course (IEAC)
● Who can take theses course?
● Practical information and benefits for agents
ICEF Agency Status & Recognition
● General information
● Conditions of recognition
● Benefits and usage
● Duration and renewal
i-graduate ICEF - Agent Barometer – Training and Accreditation
i-graduate ICEF - Agent Barometer – Training Initiatives
i-graduate ICEF - Agent Barometer – Location
i-graduate ICEF - Agent Barometer – Training Needs
2%
64%
33%
40%
44%
38%
56%
69%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Other
Marketing skills & Customer relations
Programme-specific training: Language Programmes andLanguage Exams
Programme-specific training: Pathways
Programme-specific training: Vocational Diploma andHigher Education
Programme-specific training: Secondary and High School
Destination-specific information
Visa
ICEF Agent Training Courses
● Practical training courses for agency student counsellors
● Delivered online and free of charge in a self-paced format
● Objectives:
● Support excellence and professional standards in international
education
● Providing student counsellors with essential business skills and
knowledge for working in international education
- An understanding of the international/regional education markets
- The dynamics of dealing with students, education institutions and government
- The skills and research parameters to analyze destination countries, their education products and processes, and compatibility to the students needs
ICEF Professional Courses
ICEF Destination Courses
The ICEF Agent Training Course (IATC)
Course Development
Represent you on a year round basis
Provide you with reliable local market information
Distribute your promotional material regularly
Advertise in targeted local media
Represent you at local fairs and college days
● Developed with the input of 769 agents in 113 countries and 437 education institutions in 78 countries
● An international advisory board reviewed and gave input to final course material (30 agent / educator members in 19 countries)
● Enthusiastic reaction worldwide since launch in 2010, especially from agents wishing to take the course
● To date, over 16600 student counsellors are studying the course and 1494 (in 118 countries) have already successfully passed the test
● The China Education Agent Course (CEAC) is a Chinese version of the IATC – specifically for Chinese agents in the education market
● In cooperation with BOSSA, who hosts testing opportunities, we recognize485 CITACs (Chinese ICEF Trained Agent Counselors)
IATC - Content
Unit A: The Context of International Education
● Main Destination Countries
● Education Systems
● Regulatory Systems
● Legal Requirements
● Student Visas
Unit B: People in International Education
● Student Client Management
● Student Care Issues
● Student Documents
Unit C: Promoting International Education
● Working Effectively
● Marketing Information
● Ethics
IATC Course Content
● Each lesson starts with an overview of the unit
● “Focus Questions“ at the beginning of each lesson prepare
the student for the information contained in it
● Pages provide the learning material
● “Extension Questions“ assist in applying the knowledge gained
● “Activities“ at the end of each page are learning tools
● “Destination Countries“ are part of the course content, however, due to
a constantly changing environment - are not part of the official testing
The Canada Course for Education Agents (CCEA)
Launched in October 2012 at ICEF Berlin, the CCEA was created to support educational agencies in providing the best possible advice to international students planning to study abroad in Canada.
The Canada Course for Education Agents supports professional development for agents specializing in Canada as a study destination. Originally produced by Foreign Affairs and International Trade, (Canada) in collaboration with ICEF, the course is now jointly owned by ICEF, Languages Canada and the Canadian Association of Public Schools International (CAPS-I), with the support of the CCIE.
Ensure that students choosing an agent have access to informed, ethical professionals who have the most current and accurate information on Canadian education institutions and programmes.
Support Canadian educational institutions – spend less time training agencies on Canada and more on institution’s programmes; work with agencies that invest in best practices and are committed to Canada; and, use internally for training staff
Since testing launch May 2013, there are 1043 Canada Course Graduates from 82 countries
Over 16000 people have registered for the course
Canada Course Content
Introduction
Section A: About Canada
Section B: Canada’s Systems of Education
Section C: Elementary and Secondary School (K-12) Education
Section D: Language Programmes
Section E: Universities
Section F: Colleges, Cégeps and Polytechnics
Section G: Costs of Studying in Canada and Scholarships
Section H: Applying to Work, Study and Stay in Canada
Section I: Living in Canada
Section J: Promoting Canada
The US Agent Training Course (USATC)
The US Agent Training Course (USATC) is designed for international education
agents working with American schools, universities, and colleges to recruit
international students, and is aimed at increasing agents’ knowledge and standards
of practice in their work with both institutions and students.
Ensure that education agents worldwide have accurate, up-to-date information
about the US education system.
Provide students and their families with the assurance that the agent they are
talking to is specialized in the US.
Enable US institutions to work with agents who have demonstrated commitment to
the US market by taking the course and passing the test.
Lower US institutions’ burden of agent training, allowing them to focus it on
explaining programs and specific course offerings (also useful for internal staff
training).
The US Agent Training Course (USATC) was launched in the fall of 2015 and
presently has 291 graduates from 53 different countries.
International Advisory Board MembersAdvisory Board Members based in the US
USATC Content
Section 1: About the US
Section 2: The US Education System
Section 3: K-12 Schools in the US
Section 4: Intensive English Programs (IEPs) and Pathway (Bridge) Programs
Section 5: US Professional Education and Training (PET) Schools
Section 6: Community (Two-Year) Colleges
Section 7: Four-Year Colleges and Universities
Section 8: Graduate Schools and Specialized Programs
Section 9: The Culture of American Schools
Section 10: Living in the US – Practical Considerations
Section 11: Student Visa Information
Section 12: Working in the US
Section 13: Ethical Behavior in Recruiting
Section 14: Resources and Appendices
ICEF Destination CoursesNEW - ICEF Destination Course
First of its kind – recognizing the growing
interest in Ireland as a destination for students
icef.com | 19
IEAC Advisory Board Members
Lucia Reynolds, Brand Manager Education in Ireland
Enterprise Ireland
Celestine Rowland, Director
Galway Business School
Declan Millar, Managing Director
High Schools International
Debbie Flynn, Founder
Irish Education Partners
Sinead Lucey, International Education Manager
Irish Universities Association
David O'Grady, CEO
Marketing English Ireland (MEI)
Miriam Ryan, Head of International Education
Technological Higher Education Association
In Ireland Outside Ireland
Victor Hugo Baseggio, Director
CI, Brazil
Fernando Lanzagorta Diaz,
Marketing and Sales Director
Estudia en Irlanda, Mexico
Onur Yaldizkaya, Founder
Idealist, Turkey
Noriko Okada, Marketing Director
Ireland Celtic Travel, Japan
Oscar Porras, Director
Midleton School, Spain
Dr. Osamah Majeed Qureshi, Director
Student Counseling Services, Pakistan
icef.com | 20
IEAC Course Content (12 Sections)
Section A: About IrelandSection B: The Irish Education SystemSection C: Secondary Schooling in IrelandSection D: English Language LearningSection E: Institutes of TechnologySection F: UniversitiesSection G: InternshipsSection H: The Higher Education EnvironmentSection I: Living In IrelandSection J: Student Visas Section K: Working in IrelandSection L: Promoting Ireland
Why Agent Training?
• Provide agents with the most current, accurate information about
education in general or destination
• Response to increased interest to specific study destination amongst
agents worldwide
• Enable educators to work with agents committed to a specific study
destination
• Assure students and their families that they are talking to a specialist
• Lower educators’ agent training burden, allowing them to focus on their
USP & courses
• Provides a comprehensive reference tool for the international education
community and desired destinations
i-graduate ICEF - Agent Barometer – Certification
24%
9%
27%
33%
7%
3%
23%
7%
27%
Other
US Course Graduate (USCG)
Qualified Education Agent Counsellor (QEAC)
ICEF Trained Agent Counsellor (ITAC)
Irish Course Graduate (ICG)
China ICEF Trained Agent Counsellor (CITAC)
Canada Course Graduate (CCG)
British Council Advanced Agents Certificate (BCAAC)
British Council Trained Agent (BCTA)
Who can take ICEF Agent Training courses?
● New agency staff members: excellent training tools for new student
counsellors at agencies, for international or regional destination focus
● Practicing student counsellors: all courses provide up-to-date
information about international education principles and processes
● Agency managers / owners are also welcome to take the course
● Educators interested in understanding the fundamental principles of a
working agent relationship
● An English proficiency equivalent to an IELTS score of 5.0 (or TOEFL
PBT 500 / TOEFL iBT 61) is advisable
Practical Information
● Delivered online in a self-paced modular format (approx. 50 hours of study are
recommended)
● Courses are free of charge, formal exam at cost
● Exams: “open book” (i.e. on- and offline resources may be consulted) and
candidates with a minimum of 80% correct answers pass the test
● Worldwide testing at ICEF events, plus ability to do ‘online’ at any time with a
webcam
● Test format: multiple choice questions in 80 minutes (IATC: destination country
information not tested)
● Highly recommended to do (and pass!) the Self-Assessment before requesting
a testing opportunity
● Candidates successfully passing the formal exam will receive a Certificate of
Recognition and immediate listing on ICEF Agent training pages
13
Recognition:
ICEF Trained Agent Counsellors
and Agency List
Agency Profiles
Agent, Agency name,
ITAC/CCG/ USCG/CITAC/ICG #,
qualification date, country,
agency profile & contact information
featured in an online listing:
www.icef.com/agent-training/
Agency Profile
Resources: Online App - QEA
• Free tool for educator marketing
professionals to help them find qualified
agencies by name or location (near me
now)
• Now listing over 11400 qualified agent
counsellors worldwide (ICEF, PIER,
British Council) from 125 countries
• Over 8800 downloads to date
• Search for “Qualified Education Agents”
in Google Play or the App Store
• Download your free copy now!
Agency Recognition Programmes
ICEF Agency Status (IAS)
● ICEF’s industry-leading quality assurance
processes are recognised worldwide as an
important qualification for agencies who have
been successfully vetted, and participated in,
ICEF events
● In 2010, ICEF launched a recognition
programme, acknowledging agents who have
met ICEF's strict standard of quality
● Currently we have over 4300 recognized IAS
agents
● Screened agencies that attend one or more ICEF events successfully,
automatically qualify
● Agencies who have received ICEF Agency recognition are evaluated
every two years to ensure ongoing compliance with ICEF’s standards
IAS – Conditions of Recognition and Renewal
Use your ICEF Agency Status logo as a sign
of quality and professionalism on marketing
materials:
Brochures, business cards, e-mail &
company website
IAS – Benefits and Usage
Email signature
Webpage
Thank you!
See www.icef.com for more detailed information
Questions regarding
Agent training please email:
Questions regarding ICEF‘s
Agency recognition program?
Please email: