Amanda Malu: Education NZ CEO on the economic impact of international students

The economic impact of international students is surging. 

New Stats NZ data shows education-related travel exports jumped to $4.52 billion in the year to September, up from $3.6 billion the previous year. 

Education New Zealand wants to increase that figure to $7.2 billion by 2034. 

Chief Executive Amanda Malu told Mike Hosking growth is across all sectors and there’s still room to expand. 

She says universities have higher enrolments than they've ever had, schools are growing, and private training has grown 33%. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Things starting to move in the international student market. We
got four point five billion in the year two September,
which is up from four point three billion. Enrollments set
at over eighty three and a half thousand students sets
are fourteen percent increase. Industry now sits among our top
ten exports, making up over thirteen percent of all services export.
And now Amanda marlu Is, the Chief Executive of Education
New Zealand, anders with us. Amanda, good morning to you,

(00:21):
hi much. Four point three to four point five as
in billion, Now, that's not a massive increase. Are we
peaking here? Are we tapping ourselves out here or not all?

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Not at all? I think we are. We are on
a really solid growth trajectory. So we were at about
three point six billion last year. So this is this
is really great for the New Zealand's economy and for
international Sorry, so.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
When I said four point three, I'm wrong, and that
so you've gone from three point six to four point five.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
If you look at year on year, yes, oh that good.
We've had an increase year, but a much bigger increase
year on year, which puts us well on our track
to double export values by twenty thirty four.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Good. How's the demand space thing work? I mean, is
there more demand than there is space?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
I wouldn't say that we're at we're at that sort
of full capacity. Yet there's definitely room to grow, certainly
in some parts of the sector more than others. So
universities have got higher enrollments than perhaps they've ever had.
So certainly we've have surpassed pre COVID levels, which is great.
Schools are growing, which is also really good. And the

(01:26):
private training sector grew thirty three percent in this period
that we've measured recently, so that's January to end of August,
So those are really great numbers for those set parts
of the sector. English language we really need to help boost.
And of course our polytechnic sector because of the change
that's happening, that isn't growing as quickly, but still is

(01:47):
growing two percent. So you know, there's really good green
shoots everywhere.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
Excellent. Is the visa things sorted? There was a bit
of anks around the visas and where you work or
don't work, or study or don't study afterwards and enduring
and stuff. Is everything smooth now?

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah? I think what we're seeing is some really great
work from immigration in New Zealand to make some really
great operational changes. So I have to say students are
reflecting that and their feedback to us that their experience
with the visa system is much more positive than had
been previously. And there's been some great changes recently to
things like the number of hours student can work while

(02:22):
they're studying, moving from twenty hours to twenty five hours,
which is really great for students, and very soon lesson
work underway, but very soon we'll see sort of six
months kind of work exploration visa opportunity for international students
who are not doing to real level study but can

(02:43):
have six months to find themselves a role in New
Zealand and moved from accredited work visa. So those are
those are really great changes. They're seen as very positive internationally.
People are very curious about New Zealand because we're one
of the few countries in the world saying hey, come
to New Zealand, you're welcome, whereas a lot of countries
are turning students away. So we're in a good position.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
Good, good, good good, this is all excellent. Amanda, glad
I got you on the program. Amanda Marlow, Chief Executive
of Education, New Zealand. For more from the My Asking
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