The Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Marsha Thomson, said nine of Victoria’s premier eLearning companies would showcase their products at the biggest show of its type in the United Kingdom (UK).
“The UK Government through its Curriculum Online initiative has greatly expanded the market for educational ICT content and software in schools and it’s expected that spending on ICT in schools will reach ₤920m by 2006,ö Ms Thomson said.
ôThe Bracks Government is supporting eLearning companies to attend BETT to increase their international exposure and to help them tap into the lucrative UK market.
"The Bracks Government’s World Class Business – Growing Victoria's eLearning Industry strategy focuses action in three areas: promoting collaboration, stimulating local demand and improving global competitiveness.
"Attendance at tradeshows like the BETT Technology Show is a key element of the strategy.”
Recent industry statistics show that in total, Victoria's eLearning companies earned between $150 million to $170 million in the 2002/2003 financial year.
Ms Thomson said that while this figure represented only about 1 per cent of the total revenue earned by the Victorian ICT industry, the scope for growth for the eLearning sector was enormous.
"ELearning is becoming big business because increasingly it is being used to offer students – whether in schools, tertiary institutions or the workplace – more flexible ways to achieve the best possible learning outcomes," Ms Thomson said.
Ms Thomson said following a successful delegation by senior French Government and Apple France representatives to Melbourne in May 2004, Victorian eLearning companies had also been invited to participate in an eLearning conference in Paris from January 17-18, 2005.
“The conference will highlight Victorian Government initiatives in eLearning and provide an opportunity for Victorian eLearning companies to showcase their capabilities, products and services to a French Government and Industry audience,” Ms Thomson said.
BETT attracts more than 24,000 teachers, ICT coordinators, education industry representatives and local education authorities.
The Victorian companies attending BETT 2005 include: Australian Children’s Television Foundation, Blue Reef, Dataworks, Digital Education Services, Etechgroup, Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing, myinternet, XSIQ International and Ziptales. World Class Business – Growing Victoria's eLearning Industry is part of the Bracks Government's strategy for growing the ICT industry, Growing Tomorrow's Industries Today. For further details, go to http://www.mmv.vic.gov.au/elearning or to find out more about the BETT Technology Show go to http://www.bettshow.co.uk/ Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy