The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to building our education and trade links overseas with the latest delegation to Asia opening new doors for our economy, as Tasmania continues to attract international students across all education sectors.
In 2016, Government school enrolment numbers were well above the Australian national average, growing by 38 per cent and bringing financial and cross-cultural enrichment to our communities.
Tasmania has a proud history of attracting and supporting international students. While China is still the top source country for international students as the friendship between Tasmania and China strengthens, there are also students from other countries such as Japan, Thailand and India.
It is not just schools- TasTAFE international student numbers increased by 13 per cent in 2016 across our Hobart, Launceston and Devonport TasTAFEs.
This is great news for local jobs and the local economy, with the Australian Government estimating the total benefits to the Tasmanian economy from international students in 2015/16 was $211 million, up from $153 million in 2014.
And this will be an exciting weekend for our international university students, with the opening of the purpose-built Melville Street University of Tasmania (UTAS) student accommodation facilities, which will inject even more life into the growing mid-town area of Hobart.
Our 10 year partnership agreement with the University of Tasmania has a strong focus on international education and increasing its contribution to the state’s economy, as we work with the university to put education at the heart of Tasmania’s future.
The Hodgman Liberal Government is working hard to market, recruit and promote education in Tasmanian Government schools, TasTAFE, and UTAS, to create a strong and competitive international education brand for Tasmania.
We look forward to continuing to support the growth of international education in Tasmania.