Investigation of Marketing Mix for Vocational Education Provider

This research project investigates the marketing mix of a private vocational education provider, specifically focusing on Organisation X, a Registered Training Organisation in Australia. The research addresses the challenges faced due to the replacement of the Initial Registration of Overseas Nurses (IRON) program with the Entry Program for Internationally Qualified nurses (EPIQ). The project examines the strategic marketing factors affecting Organisation X, including the 4Ps of marketing, and explores potential marketing strategies to adapt to the changing education market. The aim is to identify ways for Organisation X to maintain its competitive advantage and financial profitability, particularly in recruiting international nurses. The research utilizes the marketing mix framework and focuses on the education market, international students, and marketing strategies. The research questions explore the factors influencing Organisation X's marketing and the strategies it can implement to improve its marketing efforts. The report includes references to relevant literature, such as works on the marketing mix, marketing strategies in education, and international student recruitment.

Assessment item 1 – Research Project Details
Due: Monday of Week 3, 9 am AEST
Length: 600-800 words
Conditions: Individual
Weighting: 15%
Requirements
Use the template below to present your research project details. Please note that bullet points
are not acceptable; responses need to be written in full sentences. This assignment must be
submitted through the Turnitin link for this assignment.
Template
Information to include
Report title An investigation of the Marketing Mix for a private vocational education
provider, that is, industry partner Organisation X in a rapidly changing
education market.
Industry partner I am currently working as an executive at Organisation X – who is also my
chosen industry partner for this research. My role as an executive involves
overseeing the management and of a healthcare business organisation.
Organisation X, the chosen industry partner, is a private Registered Training
Organisation delivering vocational education in Australia to domestic as well
as international students for the past thirty years. Since the last 10 years,
Organisation X has expanded and flourished in Australia in terms of recruiting
International accredited Registered Nurses, who have received Australian
Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) qualification and approval,
within a bridging program. The 12 week accredited bridging program delivered
by Organisation X provides such nurses the opportunity to learn, acquire and
integrate themselves within Australian registration standards of nursing.
The market targeted by Organisation X is the offshore nursing workforce for
the purpose of recruiting Registered Nurses and as a result, mitigating the
problem of current nursing shortages in Australia. I am connected to
Organisation X via my nursing background and my executive role of
integrating internationally Registered Nurses within the Initial Registration for
Overseas Nurses (IRON) program.
The IRON program has been recently replaced by the Entry Program for

Internationally Qualified nurses (EPIQ) which is based on new standards of
accreditation of nurses. The aim of the program is to prepare international
nurses for complying with Australian standards of nursing and as a result,
acquire nursing skills of successful professional functioning and overall
achievement of acquiring Australian Nursing Registration standards.
The chosen industry partner comprises of approximately 30 to 50 employees
with a considerably low turnover rate. However, replacement of the EPIQ
program has raised several risks of profitability and competitive advantage of
Organisation X.
Research Field Marketing
Research problem Following a recent announcement by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of
Australia (NMBA), the Initial Registration of Overseas Nurses (IRON) program
has been replaced with the Graduate Certificate in Nursing – EPIQ RN
program. To keep cope with this change and for maintaining its current
position and status, Organisation X has to to deliver Graduate Level academic
courses and is thus required to transform or pivot its product and service
offerings.
Organisation X understands that nursing shortage in Australia is a rising
problem which is why, it recognises and prioritises the dependence for
recruiting overseas nurses with suitable qualifications. Organisation X has thus
considered the strength of its marketing ability, recruiting competence and
student skilfulness and genuineness suitable for deliverance of the EPIQ
program since these are key factors essential for successful course delivery and
strengthening of course outcomes for international students.
Organisation X now seeks to pivot its product offering and wishes to do the
same via establishing partnership with a higher educational provided such as a
university. If not addressed in a timely manner, the research problem is likely to
negatively impact the competitive advantage and financial profitability of
Organisation X as against higher education providers.
Overarching
research aim
The aim of this research is to investigate the strategic marketing factors
affecting Organisation X and alternative marketing strategies Organisation X
will possible implement to improve marketing in a rapidly changing education
market.
Research RQ1: What are the factors affecting the strategic marketing of Organisation X?

questions(s)
RQ2: What strategies can Organisation X undertake to improve its marketing?
Keywords used for
literature search
4Ps, Marketing Mix, Marketing Strategy, International Students, Education
Market, Education providers.
References: Two
(2) sources of
relevant literature
Festa, G., Cuomo, M.T., Metallo, G. and Festa, A., 2016. The (r) evolution of
wine marketing mix: From the 4Ps to the 4Es. Journal of Business
Research, 69(5), pp.1550-1555.
Marrone, S.R., 2016. Marketing strategies to promote nursing programs and
services. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 6(11).
Naidoo, V. and Wu, T., 2011. Marketing strategy implementation in higher
education: A mixed approach for model development and testing. Journal of
marketing management, 27(11-12), pp.1117-1141.
Ratiu, M.P. and Avram, E.M., 2013. Optimizing the marketing Mix-An essential
element in developing competitive strategies in the field of higher
education. Romanian economic and business review, 8(1), p.57.
Marking criteria
Sections Assessing criteria Weightage
Report
title
 Brief
 Indicative of research problem
 Includes industry partner name
1 mark
Industry
partner
 Suitable industry partner identified
 Comprehensive overview of industry partner
1.5 marks
Research
field
 Research field/discipline correctly identified 0.5 mark
Research
problem
 Research problem is clearly identified
 Research scope/focus is sufficiently narrowed down
 Significance of the research problem is well established
4.5 marks
Research
aim
 Research aim closely linked to the research problem 1 mark
Research
question(s)
 Research question(s) is/are specific to the research problem
 Research question(s) is/are specific to the industry partner 3.5 marks

 Research question(s) closely linked to the research aim
 Answer(s) to research question(s) is/are able to solve the problem
Keywords  Ability of keywords to identify relevant literature 1 mark
References  Quality of the sources/references
 Relevance to the research problem
 Currency of the source/reference
2 marks
Total: 15 marks