Where are Mexican students going now?
Mexico remains one of the largest Latin American markets for education, and is second only to Brazil in terms of the size of its population and economy. Despite continuing fluctuations in the rate of inflation within Mexico, and similar ups and downs in the exchange rate between the Mexican peso and other major world currencies, the economic outlook for 2017/18 is for relative stability and continued growth in demand for study abroad. When it comes to outbound mobility, Mexico remains very much a language market, where most of the demand is focused on English Language Teaching (ELT) programmes along with group programmes and summer camps. We recently had the opportunity to discuss the current trends in this important market with William Herrera of Estudiantes Embajadores, an education agency based in San Pedro Garza García, Mexico. In our first interview segment below, he sets out his expectations for the year ahead, highlighting the easing of visa requirements for Canada and how the political context in the US may affect student preferences. As Mr Herrera notes, “The demand for study abroad [in Mexico] will continue increasing, and that is a big opportunity for all.” But he notes as well that while the US will remain a leading destination for students, there is increasing interest in other English-speaking destinations, including Canada (another leading choice among Mexican students) as well as the UK, Ireland, and Australia. In our second segment below, he projects that there is an opportunity for these destinations to further build market share this year. The importance of personal contact is one of the constant threads in any discussion of recruiting in Mexico. Mr Herrera expands on this key point in our third interview segment below. “You’re sending your kid; you’re investing a year of your life into another country that you don’t know. You’ve never been there,” he says in explaining the perspective of Mexican families when planning for study abroad. “So you want to know [the person] face-to-face. You want to see them; you want to talk to them. You want to see that [your children] are going to be well taken care of.” Our final interview segment below checks in on the current status of some of the major programmes that are helping to shape outbound mobility in Mexico, including the high-profile Proyecta 100,000 initiative. Looking ahead, Mr Herrera continues to feel that the macro trends in the Mexican economy will have the greatest impact on outbound mobility, particularly with respect to economic growth, inflation, and the valuation of the peso. For additional background, please see:
