How to add an ELICOS course on Scope within 4 weeks!
I help clients get their ELICOS programs added to Scope. Clients usually come to me because they want to get their ELICOS program added as soon as possible. Some clients come to me after months of preparing for the program themselves only to realise that there is a quicker way. Some clients also get in touch by referral.
On average, it takes us around 1 to 2 weeks to customise the required curriculum, policies, and procedures. Then we submit the application for you. After the submission, it takes about another 1 to 2 weeks to get approval from ASQA. When no additional documents are requested, we are blessed with the ELICOS Evaluation Report with all the compliant boxes ticked J. We can then see the course added on the CRICOS website.
I know colleges that employ academic staff to write the curriculum and customise the relevant policies and procedures to comply with the National Code 2018 and the ELICOS Standard 2018 for submissions. I encourage colleges to do it internally if they have the right staff to complete the job successfully and on time. The great thing about preparing your own documents is that when it comes to running the program, your Academic Manager has their finger on the pulse and knows what to do inside and out.
This year, a few college owners came to me with a similar concern regarding their ELICOS submission headaches. The submission prep was taking them much longer than expected (close to a year). Interestingly, these three clients told me a very similar story. They were told to hire an Academic Manager to customise the curriculum/syllabus and other relevant documents provided by the consultant. These raw documents from the consultant took almost a year to receive and the customisation was still incomplete.
They employed the Academic Manager as well as the consultant to prepare the submission material. They paid the consultant 100% upfront (between $20k ~ $30k for adding two ELICOS courses) and employed the Academic Manager to work with the consultant. Yes, you will need to nominate suitable Academic Managers and teachers prior to the approval so you can submit their credentials as part of the submission. That way, when you get the course approved, you can finalise the employment process. However, when you engage with a consultant, it’s usually the consultant’s job to customise the relevant documents for you, not to be dealing with hiring another person to do the consultant’s job.
I have established and run my own ELICOS centre for nearly ten years. I know how important it is to get the approval from ASQA as soon as possible at an affordable rate.
The average duration of enrolment of an ELICOS student is about 13 weeks, according to the National ELICOS Market Report 2018: Executive Summary by English Australia. The average fee for the General English course is around $180 ~ $240 per week nowadays. You can do the math and see how fast you can recoup your investment. Of course, the sooner you complete the courses, the sooner you will get a return on your investment.
Our fee for adding an ELICOS course on Scope is $9,500+GST. The job usually takes 4 weeks from the start to get it approved by ASQA. We ask for 50% of the payment up front and the remaining 50% when the course is added on Scope. Whether you contact me for the job or deal with a different consultant, remember, time is money! Start wisely, choose the constant with the right experience, and expand your business!
This is my last blog post for 2019. I want to thank everyone for all the positive feedback received by email and calls. In 2020, I hope to bring you more useful topics that can add value to your business. If you have any topic that you would like me to cover, please send a request to michelle.lee@cricos.email
Thank you, everyone!