The British Council offer a range of training opportunities for agents and counsellors.

1) British Council Agent and Counsellor Training Suite

2) Study UK: a Guide for Education Agents and Counsellors (MOOC)

Become a British Council certified agent or counsellor with this NEW continuous professional development opportunity

The ‘British Council Agent and Counsellor Training Suite’, launched in March 2019, gives you the opportunity to become a certified British Council agent or counsellor. This training suite, brought to you by the British Council, offers access to four levels of online courses to facilitate you with the latest knowledge, skills and information to support international students studying in the UK.

You can choose from multi levels of study - from Assistant to Advanced level and those who successfully complete to Certificate level will be considered as fully trained, certifying them as a British Council Trained Agent.

The topics covered are wide and the content is detailed:

• UK education and training system
• Attractions for students in the UK
• Welfare and support for international students
• and more...

How does the training work? What is the validity?

• Participants can complete the training online at their own pace. The training can be accessed anywhere in the world and is compatible with multiple devices including mobile devices and laptops.
• There is no final exam, instead the training is self-assessed through each section with a final unit assessment at every level.
• The certification is valid for two years and can be renewed by undertaking the full training again or by moving on to the Advanced level training

The ‘British Council Agent and Counsellor Training Suite’ courses are a great way to learn, encourage and track your professional development, and they give you the opportunity to become a British Council Certified Trained Agent.

The training suite and the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ are available here.

If you have any questions contact the team on agent.enquiries@britishcouncil.org

Study UK free online course for education agents and counsellors

The Study UK campaign will be running its free massive open online course (MOOC) for education agents and counsellors again from 7 October 2019. Since the MOOC launched in 2017, it has attracted more than 15,000 participants from 167 countries.

This free online course provides professionals working in student recruitment and consultancy with the latest information about the UK as a study destination and with useful tools to make their work easier. Using the example of a typical international student, participants will learn how to advise them at every step of their journey, from their first decision to study abroad, through to the support they need while living and studying in the UK.

Topics covered will include:

• the benefits of studying in the UK
• learning why students choose the UK
• defining the skills, knowledge, and responsibilities needed to get students on to the right course
• understanding how UK institutions support learners
• exploring the resources available to support education agents and counsellors.

This is a fantastic opportunity for professional education practitioners to:

• join an online community of like-minded individuals
• interact with others and share relevant expertise while learning
• access a range of free resources and guidance to assist with their promotional activity
• learn with the British Council.

Registration to join the course is now open at www.futurelearn.com/courses/study-uk-education-advisors

Registration will close on 27 October, but anyone who has registered and started the course by 27 October can still complete the course in their own time.

There will also be a Facebook Live show at 14.00 BST on Tuesday 1 October 2019 for interested participants to meet the course leaders and ask questions. Register for the event at www.facebook.com/events/407242943255890/