The infinite opportunities at Academies Australasia

Executive Summary

Academies Australasia is one of the leading education providers with teaching excellence. It offers English language courses, Senior High School, Singapore Government School Preparatory Certificate, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree courses.

We have campuses stretched across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Dubbo. Additionally, we operate a college in Singapore providing Australian-standard courses. The qualifications we offer exceed 230 for about 14,000 students from over 122 countries, making a diverse student population with a unique learning experience.

Academies Australasia Group Limited has been operating for more than 108 years and has been listed on the Australian Securities Exchange for over 39 years. We always seek opportunities to give students relevant practical experience. For instance, we arrange work placements in different paid internship programs.

Quality is our primary focus in everything we do. Our courses are accredited nationally and developed in partnership with industry and professional associations, which include Central Queensland University, Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School, and California State University, Monterey Bay in the USA.

We are honoured to mention that 3 of our colleges have approved the Vet Student Loan scheme, while the domestic market continues to be competitive. We have a competitive advantage over our international competition such as USA, UK and Canada, as we are attracting more aspiring students to seek further education in Australia due to geopolitics happening globally.

After accounting for income tax and interests, the consolidated profits for the financial year 2017 amounted to $3,041,000, a major improvement compared to the losses of 2016.

Business Plan Summary

The Business:

Academies Australia was established in 1908 operating for more than 109 years. The Group has been registered on the Australian Securities Exchange with hundreds of shareholders for about half a century. As an education provider, we function with more than 14,000 students all over our campuses. Each campus is succeeding with its unique qualities and environment, offering excellent opportunities to students.

The Group is dedicated to quality education and student satisfaction. All faculty members are passionate about brilliant reputations from other leading universities and real-world expertise from work experience in real businesses and industries. Our primary objective is to produce world leaders who are confident and competitive in the real world of obstacles with a challenging, rewarding, and friendly environment.

We are positive about our prospects and continuously improve our quality of education, which attracts thousands of students. We seek to grow our network of 18 colleges in 5 states in Australia and Singapore to Hobart, Tasmania, opening a new campus and exploring new opportunities. In addition, our unmatchable educational services will be available to a larger number of students.

The Market:

The domestic market is full of competition and has a few setbacks, such as replacing the VET Fee Help with a Vet Student Loan, which students and parents will take time to adjust to. On the brighter side, the international market is favorable for Australian universities as competitive countries like USA and UK have developed strict migration policies for international students. The political stability and welcoming environment attract many international students, who are major contributors to our annual profits because international students increase diversity. Such a unique atmosphere attracts local students to be a part of the international community while staying in the comfort of their country.

The Future:

The firm seeks future developments and expects potential growth in the educational sector. We plan to allocate more attention and resources to international business, particularly in Agriculture, Nursing, and Hospitality.

Academies Australasia will establish a new campus in Hobart to extend its educational services. The campus is expected to attract students from around the globe, including the city of Hobart.

The Finances:

The finances required for future developments and growth will be collected through external sources, such as loans from finance-provider firms or banks. These loans will be long-term and paid as soon as the campus generates profits. The new campus is expected to return its investment in less than five years.

The Organizational Structure and Operational Plan

Business Details (New Campus):

Academies Australasia is planning to expand a new campus in Hobart, Tasmania. The new campus will offer vocational education qualifications. The Group will extend its excellence in educational services to the new area. It will operate with brilliant teachers and faculty members from different parts of the world with exceptional reputations.

Registration Details:

Academies Australasia has 12 of its colleges registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). The Hobart Campus will also be registered on CRICOS to make it suitable for international students.

Business Premises:

Academies Australasia has campuses in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Dubbo, and Singapore. The new campus will be in Hobart, Tasmania.

Organizational Chart

Management and Ownership:

The company is managed by Chairman Dr John Lewis Schlederer and Group Managing Director Christopher Elmore Campbell.

Human Resource Policies:

Employees are selected based on their range of skills, experience, diversity, and commercial expertise to ensure their success in the organization. When an individual is selected as an employee in the firm, it is based on their skill set and ability to enhance the organization’s efficiency.

Strategic Planning

Environmental Scan:

Hobart, Tasmania, is suitable for a new campus offering vocational education. There are over 30,000 students, including 5,200 international students. Most of them are potential customers for the new campus. About 100,000 residents, students, and visitors are always in the city and can be potential students or workers at Academies Australasia. The beauty of the city attracts many tourists yearly. Students desire to study and live in Hobart.

Economic Profile:

Hobart has a young population with a median age of 39. The great population of Tasmania of 509,965 is expected to be attracted to the city of Hobart due to the new campus. The large working population will be hired on lower wages, increasing the profits for the firm. The property in Hobart is cheaper, and large land space is available for a new campus to establish. The large number of businesses, restaurants, and other services provided in the area also attracts international and out-of-state students. Hobart has recently experienced major developments, as shown in the figure below (“Development,” n.d.).

Legal Constraints:

The law affects almost all areas of business activity, including marketing, production, employment, relationships with customers and competitors, and even the establishment of the business itself. Academies Australasia will have to go through similar legal processes and registrations for the new campus as they did for the previous successful campuses.

Firstly, to establish their university, they will need approval from the Australian Higher Education Committee according to the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (PMC, n.d.-b), Educational Regulation (NI) (Infrastructure, n.d.), Higher Educational Provider Guidelines 2012 (PMC, n.d.-a), and Education and Training Legislation Repeal Act 2017 (Training, n.d.).

When it comes to offering educational services to international students, the legislative framework is dominated by the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act, which provides the legal work for protecting the reputation of the Australian Education System. The National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007 sits under ESOS, a national standard that protects overseas students enrolled in education providers registered on CRICOS. An institution must be registered on CRICOS to provide legal education to international students (Australia, n.d.).

Market Analysis

Market Research:

Market research is essential to every business and new idea or launch. To reduce the risks associated with new products and ideas, the marketing team must study the market, analyze potential customers, estimate the demand for the product, and cater to the market’s needs.

For the campus opening in Hobart, the marketing team conducted extensive research on the campus surroundings and the demand for a quality education provider. Thousands of students in Hobart seek a higher education degree that can help them flourish in the future and become leading entrepreneurs. Academies Australasia aims to provide such excellence to these potential customers.

Most of the research data is collected from secondary sources that are reliable and credible to use. On the other hand, some research is created through primary research by the marketing team. They prepared questionnaires for schools in the area near Hobart and conducted an online survey for international students. The survey and research results were favorable for establishing a new campus, showing that most high school students wanted a university environment with a high diversity and help them develop their social and real work skills.

Market Target (Product, Price, Promotion and Place):

Product, price, promotion, and place are the four key decisions involved in a marketing mix. These have a major influence on the success of the product or any new idea.

• Product:

The idea of the new campus in Hobart is a product. The purpose of the product should be to serve customer needs. The marketing team’s research highlights the requirement of a new campus, which proves the success of the launch.

• Price:

We aim to offer brilliance at an affordable tuition. The goal is to make quality education available to most of the population. The annual tuition fee will be around $18,000. The campus will adopt promotion pricing and offer scholarships and financial aid for the first five years.

• Promotion:

The launch of the new campus will be promoted around the globe to attract students from all over the world. We will make announcements at our existing campuses, spread awareness through television ads, make our application forms available in different schools and colleges, and register on Common App. To attract more applicants, the application fee will be removed for the first five years.

• Place:

Hobart, Tasmania.

SWOT Analysis:

SWOT analysis is a tool used to gather information on the current situation of an organization. Different elements of the situation are evaluated within the categories of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

• Strengths:

Academies Australasia has exceptional human resources, from the directors to the managers and faculty members at different campuses. These teams work hard and are dedicated to offering an excellent quality of education to its diverse student body.

• Weaknesses:

The new campus lacks finances for the establishment. The marketing team’s research may lack credibility, which could lead to its failure. However, the managing team is focusing on promotions.

• Opportunities:

The increasing number of students coming to Australia for further studies is a great opportunity for Academies Australasia to attract global students and increase the student body.

• Threats:

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has rejected many visas, including student visas, which is a problem for Academies Australasia as we are losing potential international students. On the other hand, the domestic market is very competitive.

The Future

Vision Statement:

Academies Australasia will be a leading education provider globally, with Hobart Campus as a major contributor to the community.

Mission:

Academies Australasia will cater to the learning and education requirements of students from around the globe.

Goals and Objective:

We aim to help our students excel in the real world and become inspiring leaders. The goal is to be listed among the top universities in Australia and globally.

The Financial Plan:

Academies Australasia made extraordinary profits in the financial year 2017. The long-term liability has also decreased. However, the new campus will require big investments. The following are the forecasted financial statements for Academies Australasia.

Balance Sheet Forecast:

Forecasted Income Statement:

Conclusion:

Academies Australasia is pleased to present a profiting year ahead and excellent prospects for the future and the success of the new campus at Hobart. The primary reason behind the group’s progress is the hard work of its human resources and constant dedication to providing a great learning experience.

References

Australia, U. (n.d.). Legislation and Regulation. Retrieved February 14, 2018, from https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/global-engagement/legislation-and-regulation

Development. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2018, from https://www.hobartcity.com.au/Business/Doing-business-in-Hobart/Hobarts-economic-profile/Development

Infrastructure, R. D. and C. (n.d.). Education Regulations (NI). Retrieved February 14, 2018, from https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2015Q00052/Html/Text, http://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2015Q00052

PMC, E. and T. (n.d.-a). Higher Education Provider Guidelines 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2018, from https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2013C00787/Html/Text, http://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2013C00787

PMC, E. and T. (n.d.-b). Higher Education Support Act 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2018, from https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00023/Html/Text, http://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00023

Training, E. and. (n.d.). Education and Training Legislation Repeal Act 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2018, from https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2017A00088/Html/Text, http://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2017A00088