Infometrics July newsletter
International education a key growth opportunity for regions
With dairy prices having continued their downward trajectory over recent months, economic confidence has begun to wobble in some parts of the country. Nevertheless, there are still many parts of the New Zealand economy going well, with service sector activity in particular booming. This month we have put our focus on exploring the recent good performance of the international education sector and how regions can ensure they are getting their share of the lucrative export education pie. We also wade into the Auckland housing debate and look at whether it is ever rational for businesses to provide mediocre service. For those of you wanting to analyse your sector or industry in more detail, there is also a piece introducing Infometrics sector profile service.
Gareth Kiernan is in Auckland this week as part of the Infometrics seminar roadshow. These seminars are always in high demand around the country and Gareth’s calendar over the coming weeks is filling up quickly. If you are still interested in getting Gareth to deliver a macroeconomic presentation to your organisation, get in touch and we can arrange a time to suit.
International education is a key part of burgeoning service exports
New Zealand’s export education sector is in a sweet spot at present, with international student numbers recording double-digit growth last year. Optimism is also mounting that the expansion will continue as a weaker New Zealand dollar boosts international students’ budgets. The remainder of this article considers the export education sector’s recent performance in light of New Zealand’s other key exports, before concluding by examining the outlook for export education.
Why is international education important to our regions?
International education is increasingly becoming a key contributor to New Zealand’s economy, especially as international student numbers are forecast to grow from 110,198 in 2014 to be north of 212,000 by 2025. But while the impact at a national level is resoundingly positive, the impacts at a regional level are much more varied. The cynic would say that the focus on international education is yet another contributor to increasing regional inequality and that Auckland is the only region really benefiting. But is this actually the case?
Is your region getting its share of the export education pie?
With international education booming in New Zealand, each region should be trying to take full advantage of the economic benefits of the inflow of international students. Infometrics can help your region understand how you are performing relative to other regions and if you are indeed getting a fair share of the pie. We are able to prepare a short report which covers the key metrics on international education in your region or provide more in-depth analysis to meet your information needs.
Optimal incompetence
I quite like our office, it has a great view and an easy layout, but I do get locked out of it from time to time. Not because I don’t have a key, oh no. But, sometimes our staff keys just don’t work. Naturally we can get this sorted within an hour or so, but we’ve been locked out the building, office, and in the bathroom (awkward, I know) so many times that I might just be past the point of forgiveness. It’s moments like these that really makes me wonder whether the person responsible is trying to be useless. Seeing as this is not the only service I’ve had a bad run with in the past few months, I thought I’d explore for you whether there can be real opportunities and motivations to provide a lousy service.
