KUWAIT: The British Council recently delivered an online training course for private education agents in Kuwait to develop their knowledge of UK education and enable them to give useful, accurate advice to prospective students.

In a press release issued on Friday, the British Council said that this innovative training course "gives candidates a broad understanding of the UK education system at all levels and in all sectors, and provides a wealth of information about living and studying in the UK." The course was also opened to counselors from government scholarship organizations.

This program, known as the Education UK Certificate for Agents, is just one of many services provided by the British Council to agents across the Middle East region and indeed globally.

Speaking at the certificate ceremony, Stephen Forbes, the Director of the British Council in Kuwait, said, "The British Council does not accredit agents, but values agents as marketing partners who are able to reach a great many prospective students and provide information about studying in the UK.

Khalid Masoud, the Education UK Adviser at the British Council, said that the course "provides candidates with the knowledge and skills they need to counsel students effectively about UK education and independently use UK education resources to help them in their work, and ensures that advice given to the public about UK education is clear, consistent and accurate.

The course is delivered entirely online and the content is designed by British Council education specialists in partnership with a wide range of UK education institutions and senior representatives from the UK's Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and the UK Border Agency, to ensure all information is accurate and current.

Candidates are supported by local British Council staff who organize a welcoming meeting and support sessions during the program. All the counselors participating in the course are given the skills to confidently give advice not only about UK education, but about the resources and services students can access for more information.

The first cohort of candidates trained by the British Council Kuwait completed the course in 2006, and included the current Kuwaiti Cultural Attach� in London Dr Bander Al-Raqqas. To date, 12 candidates have successfully completed the course, ranging from education counselors with private agencies to scholarship providers and school counselors. - Kuwait Times