News and Opportunities
Taiwan seminar highlights Australian Working Holiday Maker study options
16 May 2012
In response to the continual increase in Taiwanese Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visitors to Australia, Austrade facilitated a large-scale, market-first seminar in late April to highlight education opportunities to outbound Taiwanese. Supported by education agents, the event was successful in promoting an education aspect as part of a WHM experience in Australia.
Themed ‘Creating your future through education’, the seminar successfully combined briefings from Austrade and experienced Taiwanese WHM speakers with agent promotion and interaction opportunities. The event attracted more than 400 young Taiwanese looking to learn more about the options available during an Australian WHM experience.
In 2010–11, Taiwan was considered the sixth-largest source market for the Australian WHM program, registering 35 per cent growth on the previous reporting period. With a market share of 7.4 per cent in 2010–11, the number of Taiwanese WHM visitors to Australia has experienced year-on-year growth since the program inception in late 2004.
Building on the WHM research initiated by Austrade in 2011, activities such as WHM awareness seminars were planned to capitalise on the growth within this visa class. Since the release of the research, Austrade has been proactive in raising awareness of the importance of study during the WHM and the benefits to an Australian experience.
The research initiated by Austrade identified a common misperception among Taiwanese WHM visitors in relation to the level of English proficiency required to reside and travel in Australia. Seminars such as this provide an important platform for engagement with Taiwanese WHM travellers prior to their departure to Australia.