On Tuesday 28th March we had the Department for Business and Trade’s Kelly Tavares, Head of Education in LATAC, and Julio Evaristo, Head of Education, Health and Life Sciences, present to us the opportunities in education in Latin America and the Caribbean (LATAC).
Education providers across the British Expertise Membership attended the in-person roundtable to learn more about the business opportunities and ways of working in the region, and were also provided with a chance to network with the speakers prior to the event.
We learnt that doing business in education in LATAC is both competitive and focuses on a high-quality and specialised offer. However there are challenges across the region ranging from local currencies devaluation, taxation, market access, and prolonged economic challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kelly and Julio also shared with us some top tips on navigating the market:
- Relationships matter
- Discussions might not always be straightforward
- Build positive reputations
- Flexibility is key
The main part of the session went into detail around 4 priority markets for the Department for Business and Trade: Brazil, Mexico, Commonwealth Caribbean, and Panama and the pipeline of education opportunities across sectors of English Language Training, EdTech, TVET, and Higher Education. For each market we also learnt of the potential buyers and partners active in the region who may prove useful potential partners when entering the market.
If you are a UK business looking to do business in the market in LATAC, the Department for Business and Trade at post are there to support you with market research, trade promotion, market access and trade policy, and links with local businesses.
Please contact Lara at lm@britishexpertise.org if you wish to find out the key contacts from the DBT LATAC education team and or for a copy of the presentation slides which go into specific detail on our pipeline of education opportunities.
