This document summarizes Robert Coffey's presentation on the use of education agents in international recruitment in Manitoba. It discusses how agents are currently used to recruit international students, but that there are issues with conflicts of interest and lack of oversight. The presentation considers stakeholders' perspectives, policy problems, and potential approaches to address concerns, such as banning certain agent practices or establishing best practice guidelines. The goal is to inform discussion on how Manitoba education institutions should manage relationships with agents.

1. The Use of Education Agents in
International Recruitment:
The Case of Manitoba
Robert Coffey
Doctoral Student
Higher Adult Lifelong Education [HALE]
College of Education

2. Outline for presentation
 Introduction, purpose of internship
 Introduction to IEB (Internship site)
 Manitoba as context for policy problem
 Education agent use as a policy problem
 Stakeholders
 Potential policy approaches
”

3. HALE Center for Higher & Adult Education
 Intern Program provides support for HALE graduate
students seeking policy experience in higher
education

4. Manitoba
 Larger than Japan and twice the
size of the UK; fifth largest
province in size and population
 Population (2010): 1,222,000
 Winnipeg is home to 60% of the
population and most post-secondary
institutions
 Manitoba Provincial Nominee
Program (PNP) fast-tracks migration
of skilled workers and international
students

5. International Education
 Formed in 2001 as a branch of Advanced
Education and Literacy
 Mandate to:
 Increase international and intercultural knowledge and
skills of Manitobans
 Maximize the benefits of IE to the economy;
 Engaging more schools/institutions, levels
of education, fields of study/training,
and regions of Manitoba in IE
 Enhancing international recognition of Manitoba as an
excellent source of
high quality, affordable education and
training programs, services, and products

6. International Education
 Serve as a first point of contact for
IE matters
 Develop IE policy
 Work with Manitoba institutions
and organizations to:
• coordinate IS recruitment,
• offer marketing assistance, and
• build capacity for greater involvement in IE

7. Policy Problem: The Use of Education
Agents in International Recruitment
 An education agent provides assistance to a student
seeking to matriculate at an education institution abroad.
 Agents may work independently or for an agency.
 Agents may provide these services as a sole line of
business, but they may also be:
 An immigration consultant
 A tour operator
 An alumnae/alumnus
 A family member or friend

8. Policy Problem: The Use of Education
Agents in International Recruitment
 Commission-paid agents generally
 Contract with education institutions to represent them and
recruit for them in a particular market
 Also charge students for their services
 Represent more than one institution

9. Policy Problem: The Use of Education
Agents in International Recruitment
 Develop a discussion document to inform the work of a
federal-provincial committee tasked with considering this
issue
 Develop a policy proposal to help shape discussions
about education agent use by
Manitoba education institutions

10. Who Are The Stakeholders?
 School Divisions (Districts)
 Colleges (Admissions, Enrollment Management)
 Universities (Admissions, Enrollment Management)
 Government (Federal, Provincial)
 Employers
 Students

11. Agents As Essential Recruiting Partners
 A cost-effective way to recruit internationally
 Cultural intermediaries who can help students and
families navigate the admissions process
 Trustworthy ‘experts’ who are more trusted than the
institution
 Essential in raising awareness of EIs that are
less well-known

12. Agent Horror Stories
 Not disclosing that they’re working on commission
 Steering clients to EIs that pay the most commission
 Misrepresenting an EI’s programs of study, the credential
conferred, and the portability of the credential.
 Collecting fees for El services prior to student
arrival that were never forwarded to the EI.
 Authoring student essays intended to assess
the applicant’s written English proficiency.
 Colluding with students in misusing the visa
process

13. What are the issues?
 What role (if any) should government play?
 Institutional autonomy
 The conflict of interest created by paying agents
on commission
 What should the relationship between
institutions and agents look like?
 What / how much responsibility should
institutions have for how agents conduct their
business?

14. Possible policy approaches
 Status quo
 Further research
 Ban on using agents to recruit
 Ban on using for-commission agents to recruit
 Establish voluntary code of best practices

15. Thank you!
Robert Coffey
coffeyr1@msu.edu