Innovation

As Australia is well-known for its high-quality education, it has become a place where more and more international students dream of studying abroad. However, most international students do not know where to start at the beginning of planning to study abroad. At this point, study abroad agency plays an essential role in consulting and advisory services.

As most study abroad agency’s service only covers university entrance service, the single service provider cannot meet the needs of international students. According to the need of international students, ACIC implements the project “Be your strong backing”. The primary goal of the program is to help students, who need a more extensive range of service relating to study in Australia. “We are primarily focused on the widespread desire among international students to consolidate different kinds of services into one project and help them satisfy their various needs at once.” – states Martin (2018). Through the survey, research and analysis of the markets, staffs in ACIC collected much information about different services requirements from students and families who wish to study in Australia, and then they consolidated all services required and designed a new project that meets all customer needs.

Students who selected this project will get a customized service plan for the long-term. University entrance service help students understand the admission requirements of different universities and choose the one that suits them best; Visa service and plane ticket booking solved troubles on the international journey; Tutors in after-class tutoring are highly professional, and they help students to broaden their understanding and knowledge of the unit; Vocational guidance help students with how to write their CV, how to behave in an interview and what are their career outcomes based on their majors. Martin (2018) has stated that “students who major in accounting may become a financial analyst, external auditor or investment banker in the future, we can provide accounting practice course and help them to find an accounting and finance intern.” Also, interest-free loans are available to students whose families are struggling financially. Overall, this innovative project made tremendous contributions to quality education.

Inspiration

Martin Xu is the senior manager of ACIC Melbourne.

He has been working in ACIC since 2005. In the beginning, the scope of business in ACIC was very narrow. The main tasks of Martin’s work were consulting on the study abroad. Years of work experience makes Martin have a certain degree of service awareness and consulting skills, the students and colleagues now trust him. Gradually, Martin developed many ideas about how to expand the business scope of the enterprise. “By serving a large number of international students in Australia, I realized that the company’s existing service scope could not meet students’ requirements in many respects. Students need much more than what we expected. Some students care about the difficulty level of courses in the university and how to achieve excellent results; Some students emphasize on employment situation after graduation; Others asked about the application for scholarships and how to apply for an overseas study loan. I hope that I can help students to solve all problems and receive a quality education”, stated Martin (2018). After that, he became the coordinator of the projects where he had to carry out innovations. Eventually, the company’s new program “Be Your Strong Backing” became the embodiment of the innovative spirit of the company in 2013.

Overall impact

In the short-term, it is essential for the company to invest a lot of money on employee training and education. As the company expand the scope of business, employees need to learn the newly developed business and be able to provide quality consulting service to customers.

In the long-term, as agencies can help international students plan their entire study journey and provide support on career, more international students will choose to study in Australia due to the risk of studying abroad is reduced.

Thus, the operating costs of the company may increase while more international students will be attracted by Australia’s quality study environment.

Business benefit

Martin (2018) has stated that “A strong and stable workforce should be organised if the enterprise wants to survive and develop under the current situation.” As the new innovative project requires the company to expand their existing services, the company need to recruit new employees to increase labour force and serve more customers. Consequently, the company can build a reliable and professional team.

Furthermore, the company can attract more attention and receive a better reputation by helping students with financial difficulties to successfully apply for a student loan and complete their degree. In the future, as the company gained consistent high praise from its clients, ACIC will get more customers and increase revenue.

In summary, this project helps the company in continuous hiring staff as well as it improves the company’s image.

Social and environmental benefit

With this program, the company is looking to help talented students from low-income families, the opportunity to receive a better education in Australia through interest-free loans. In the future, these talented young people may become highly competitive professionals and make decisions to help more children who are unable to receive a quality education due to poverty.

Besides, this program also increased the company’s demand for new employees. Martin (2018) have claimed that: “We are willing to provide opportunities to college students to join us as an intern.” Through an internship, students will get a chance to utilize their knowledge, solving actual problem and gain a competitive advantage in their career. Finally, they can provide a better quality of life for its families and thus generate a change in society.

Interview

Martin Xu, Senior Manager