Craig Mackinlay MP has visited Hilderstone College in St Peter’s Road, Broadstairs to explore how he can help the ELT (English Language Teaching) sector thrive after the challenges presented by the Covid restrictions imposed from March 2020.
During the visit, College Principal, Lee Shutler, lobbied the South Thanet MP for the introduction of a group travel scheme to enable school groups from the EU to travel to the UK more easily. Mr Shutler also called for an expansion of the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme to enable more young adults to study in the UK for up to 3 years. The UK had offered such a scheme to the EU as part of the post-Brexit arrangements, but this was rebuffed.
Recovery has been slow compared to competitor destinations such as Ireland and Malta. The most recent statistics from the sector’s trade association, English UK, shows that business in the year 2022 reached just 51% of pre-pandemic levels. This is significantly below the recovery seen in the UK’s inbound tourism sector as a whole. Government figures shows that the recovery in 2022 was 73% of pre-pandemic levels.
Hilderstone College often employs over 30 people and their international students support the local economy by spending in shops, restaurants and tourism and staying with local hosts. Hilderstone has also been a valuable point of reference for Ukrainians who have escaped the appalling situation in their country, giving pro bono courses to over a dozen students since the summer of 2022.
The UK’s ELT sector is a valuable export contributing £1.5bn a year to the UK economy before the pandemic, supporting over 35,000 jobs.
Craig Mackinlay MP commented:
“It was great to visit Hilderstone College and catch up with Lee Shutler and his colleagues once again.
“The Covid restrictions had a profound impact on all of us, not least those working in our much-cherished ELT sector locally, and Labour’s threat of VAT on private education would surely apply to this thriving sector so important to the East Kent economy.
“But some simple changes can help restore and give certainty to this valuable UK export industry.
“I know the Government already works closely with English UK, but my discussions with Mr Shutler have given me much food for thought and I will take up his suggestions regarding introducing a group travel scheme and expanding the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme with Home Office ministers.”
Hilderstone College Principal, Lee Shutler, added:
“Mr Mackinlay and I have corresponded over a number of issues over the years, ranging from Brexit impacts to Covid and our work with Ukrainian students.
“I appreciate his willingness to understand our industry and to lobby on our behalf."