Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Tourism and International Education) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for the question, Senator Johnston. Yesterday I had the opportunity to bring to the chamber the fantastic results for the Australian tourism industry, which has been identified as one of Australia's five supergrowth sectors. Today it is a real pleasure to talk in respect of one of my other responsibilities, which is international education, also identified as one of Australia's supergrowth sectors. Last year, international education was worth $19.65 billion to the Australian economy and employed in excess of 130,000 Australians—a lot of Australian jobs are in the international education sector. I am delighted to inform the Senate that we set a record in 2015, with 498,155 international students choosing to study in Australia. International student mobility has increased considerably over the last decade, with employers increasingly seeking employees with international experience. This trend is likely to increase. Australia is very well placed to increase our share of international students, as one of the top three countries in the world for international education. We are committed to growing our market share.

A few weeks ago, I attended English Australia's biggest English lesson in the world on Bondi Beach. Over 3,000 students from 62 countries attended, which gives a clear indication of the breadth of students attracted to Australia. They achieved their quest to set a Guinness World Record for the largest ever English lesson. This was a fantastic event on the shores of Bondi Beach and clearly demonstrated Australia's capacity in the international education space.