By DIRK MULDER

The cities are set to join the national regional bonus scheme for international students from 16 November

The Commonwealth has added Perth and the Gold Coast to regional centres for skilled migration and international student visas. All of Australia ex Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney now count as regional centres, where study translates into extended post gradation work rights. The move is supported by an increase in regional migration places from 23 000 to 25 000.

This is big news for education institutions on the Gold Coast, and especially in WA.

Last week the state government added graduates of WA voced institutions to its local skilled migration programme (CMM October 21).

WA certainly needed to act. The August international figures just released show WA VET still sliding at negative 8.3 per cent – the only state VET sector in the red.

The weekend announcement should see a turnaround in the west, on the basis of VET growth for other states already in the scheme, SA VET is up 43.5 per cent, TAS 78 per cent, NT 108.3 per cent with VET growing in the ACT by 13.1 per cent.

My full analysis of the impact of the regional scheme in August is in CMM Features this morning.

Dirk Mulder is an international education business developer, strategist and market analyst. Contact him @ [email protected]