Ireland hosts international English language trade mission from Ukraine

Marketing English in Ireland (MEI) has this week hosted an international English language trade mission from Ukraine, who visited Ireland to organise placement for Ukrainian students in MEI member school and colleges in Ireland.

According to Marketing English in Ireland (MEI), the association that represents 58 regulated language schools and colleges nationwide, Ireland is an increasingly popular destination for students from Ukraine and other countries in the former Soviet Union.

While the largest numbers of students that study English in Ireland every year, traditionally arrive from Italy and Spain, year on year growth from these markets is modest and it has been from new markets that MEI have focussed its attention in order to continue to increase the number of international English language students studying in Ireland. In comparative terms, Ireland is well ahead of the UK, USA, Canada and Australia in terms of international English language students per head of population.

“As part of our remit to showcase Ireland as a high quality destination for international language students, MEI embarked on a targeted outreach to Ukraine over five years ago. We know that there are really strong growth opportunities for Ireland to attract English language students from Ukraine. Overall, in 2014, students from over 80 countries came to study English in regulated English language schools and colleges; however it was Ukraine that has seen some of the most consistent growth in recent years. From 2011 to 2014 the number of Ukrainian adult students doubled from 33 to 65 and they spent an average of over eight weeks in Ireland, learning English. In relation to junior students there has been an almost six fold increase in students from 13 in 2011 to 76 in 2014. Positively for Ireland we also know that students from Ukraine spend longer in Ireland than comparable students in the UK, contributing more to the Irish economy”, said David O’Grady, CEO of the Marking English in Ireland.

Ireland is fast becoming the destination of choice for International English language students from the former Soviet Union countries such as Ukraine. The growth is helped in part due to the geopolitical situation in the region and the ongoing currency difficulties.

David O’Grady, CEO of the Marking English in Ireland continued, “the reason for MEI hosting a large delegation from Ukraine is to help capitalise on the opportunity that exists. While student numbers from Ukraine in Ireland are low, they are growing strongly and we know from speaking to the Ukrainian representatives who visited Ireland that bookings for Ireland for 2016 are again on the rise. The currency situation in Ukraine makes Ireland a much more attractive destination due to the strength of the US Dollar and Sterling.”

The Ukrainian delegation to Ireland met individually with 23 MEI schools and colleges from Dublin, Bray, Waterford, Cork and Galway.