Training the workers Asia will need tomorrow

THE Perth-based education and management training company, AAMC Training Group, has stepped up its presence in four Asian countries – India, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore — following success in clinching a three-year MOU with India’s Gujarat Knowledge Society and the signing an agreement with the Government of Gujarat.

The Indian market is an important breakthrough for AAMC because of the size and the youthfulness of its population, with training vital as youngsters prepare to enter the workforce. Gujarat is home to 68 million people.

AAMC Training has now established locally-incorporated companies in both India and the Philippines, and is formalising its presence in Indonesia, continuing a focus on Asian countries with large, young populations.

Jeff Mazzini, Founder and CEO of AAMC Training, says education and training today is a cross-border business, and he can see gaps in the market in Asia which a firm like his — AAMC has provided training for Australians for 14 years — can fill.

But to be successful, he says, Western providers — whether from Australia, the US, the EC or the UK — must tailor course materials to suit the environment and the specific needs of individual countries. “Providing education without meeting employers’ requirements provides no solutions to anyone,” he told ATI.
In April, AAMC Training opened its first study centre in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to provide direct training courses. “In India, we also have connections with study centres in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan,” Mazzini says.
Previously, the firm’s course material was used in a number of engineering colleges with which AAMC has links in Gujarat. Then, India’s national regulator – the All Indian Council for Technical Education (AICTE) — ruled that AAMC Training must have its own offices in India before it would officially endorse the courses, Mazzini says.
“When that (endorsement) happens, we will be able to offer our courses nationally with the AICTE stamp on our certificates.” AICTE accreditation is necessary for courses to be recognised by employers across India.
 “We offer a variety of international courses designed around the needs of Indian employers,” Mazzini says.
Generally, he finds employer demand strongest for training in finance, mortgage broking , banking, IT and English-language.
AAMC Training has formed partnerships with various Indian organisations, including the country’s National Skill Development Corporation, the Retailers Association’s Skill Council of India and the Gujarat Knowledge Society.
Mazzini says he has been trying to break into the Indian market since 2009.  “The Australian Government will tell you that there is no Australian training company in India which has a viable business model, but we are confident that ours will prove viable.”
Mazzini also sees growing training opportunities coming from Southeast Asia as the ASEAN Economic Community come into being by the end of this year.
“The countries within ASEAN are keen to upgrade the standards of their workers to prevent loss of jobs to other ASEAN nationals — who will be free to move within the community,” he says. “In the Philippines, we are talking to local regulators as we now set up our local business.”
AAMC has been operating in the Philippines for almost a year. “We are still in the process of getting into schools and colleges, but one thing that is going well for us is virtual IT online training.” As with India, the Philippines is a key country for business process outsourcing services. Neither India now the Philippines has yet developed a rich talent pool for this booming industry, Mazzini says.
He adds that more than 1,300 Australian companies have business interests in the Philippines, providing a potential client base. AMMC Training is conducting non-accredited courses, like cultural training, so that the Filipino staff of Australian companies can communicate with Australian companies.
 “We have just done some work courses with a global company there on the Australian and New Zealand tax systems, English language, HR and finance. They are hoping to increase their presence in the Australian market.”
After operating informally in Indonesia for four years, Mazzini is in the process of incorporating a company there. He is already working with an Australian company which has a network of more than 130 branches in Indonesia — to provide finance and mortgage broking courses to its employees.
 In Singapore, AAMC is working with the Association of Mortgage Brokers and the Finance Association of Singapore to provide relevant courses.
AAMC Training was established 14 years ago. In the first decade, Mazzini concentrated on the Australian market, and says AAMC has made considerable inroads into the finance and banking sectors. It is a niche market, he says, where there are not too many competitors. jmazzini@aamctraining .edu.au