Victoria’s Kangan TAFE is set capitalise on India’s huge demand for vocational skills after securing a deal to have its qualifications offered in the state of Maharashtra.It believes it is the first Australian TAFE to have its courses registered as Indian qualifications, which will be delivered by Indian institutions.
Kangan’s move is part of a wider trend among Australian universities and TAFEs to counter the fall in international student numbers by seeking to offer qualifications overseas.
And India is a key growth market. The country has set a target to skill up a staggering 500 million people by 2022, of which Maharashtra’s share is 50 million.
“It is an enormous task ahead and we respect that the Indian education system is outstanding, but their vocational education system, they believe, can be value added by some elements from Australia’’ Kangan CEO Ray Griffiths said.
Under the agreement Kangan’s diploma of automotive technology and diploma of aircraft maintenance engineering will now be delivered in India. Mr Griffith said he also hopes to eventually offer Kangan’s diploma of nursing and English language courses. Within 12 months he expects around 12,000 Indian students will be studying Kangan courses.
The Victorian government has backed the initiative with $300,000 for Kangan to provide customised certificate IVs in training and assessment to about 325 India vocational teachers in Maharashtra.
Mr Griffith said the downturn in international student markets in Australia had been a factor in driving the strategy, though he said Kangan has so far been able to sustain international student numbers by diversifying source countries.
He said the initiative had been welcomed by parents and industry in India as an alternative to the expense of having student travelling and live overseas to study.
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