SECTOR FOCUS EQUIPPING EAST AFRICA 6

The number of UK corporate training providers almost doubled between 2000 and 2008

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The international activities of British HE institutions are worth more than £9bn a year to the economy

LET’S DO BUSINESS For further information on the UK’s education sector,

contact Barrie Harris on tel: 020 7215 4274, email barrie.harris@ukti.gsi.gov.uk

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The UK attracts more international students than any other country apart from the US

More than 408,000 students are now studying for British HE qualifi cations overseas

An increasing number of leading UK independent schools have

branches overseas

High Wycombe-based consultancy Seymour Associates, a specialist supplier of machinery to the higher education sector, recently completed a £300,000 deal to supply and install a fully equipped engineering workshop at Kimathi University College of Technology (KUCT) in the Kenyan town of Nyeri with the help of UK Trade & Investment. The fi rm, which is now considering opportunities in Uganda and Tanzania, also arranged specialist machine training in the UK for KUCT staff. “From the outset, this has been an export-oriented fi rm,” says Ian Seymour, who founded the company in 2008. “UK Trade & Investment provided me with advice on tackling some of the practical and cultural challenges of doing business in Kenya. It also helped fund several trips to the country.” www.seymourassociates.co.uk

TRAINING TRIUMPH TRAINING TRIUMPH

Worcestershire training company Righttrack Consultancy recently won a prestigious contract with leading Kuwaiti fi rm Wataniya Telecom. The £90,000 deal, in partnership with Kuwaiti partner Edara Group, involves the delivery of bespoke training packages for Wataniya’s staff for up to nine months. Righttrack’s team, which includes seven Redditch-based staff and 35 training associates, offers courses in Arabic, Czech, Dutch, Farsi, French, German, Italian and Spanish and English.

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Between 35-50 per cent of the company’s turnover is generated from overseas business, as part of an ongoing global strategy pursued with the help of UK Trade & Investment. “Our export market has enabled

us to fl ourish,” said Kasmin Cooney, managing director of Righttrack. “We have continued to grow in tough times, quite an achievement considering that training is one of the fi rst things to go when companies are reducing budgets.” www.righttrackconsultancy.co.uk

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