You might be wondering about comparative education and training standards when considering offshoring? Are developing country universities equivalent to their developed country counterparts in the degrees they offer? What is the level of tertiary education and training generally? This concern may stem from a (largely historical) view that only lower-level (call centre or data entry for example) work is carried out offshore. However, if you are offshoring high-level, meaningful work, these education concerns are likely to be misplaced. Make sure you ask your provider all about their recruitment process. Do they only recruit the smartest graduates with the highest qualifications, from top universities? 

If you still have concerns about comparative education in the country you are considering offshoring, check out the QS Higher Education Strength Rankings. These rankings highlight the nations with the world’s strongest higher education systems. Comparing national performance in four areas, the rankings are based on system strength, access, flagship institution performance, and economic context. These four indicators are combined with equal weighting to give the overall scores, with the top 50 countries published. The interactive ranking table can also be sorted to compare national performance within each of the four categories. These QS rankings are important as they measure not only the quality of a country's economic environment for its higher education institutions but also whether economic prosperity translates into performance. 

If you are considering offshoring in the Philippines, it is worth noting that it has one of the best higher education systems in Asia and is ranked 45th in the world overall. A newly industrialised country and emerging market in Asia, the Philippines offers the opportunity to study in English at an affordable cost. It attracts over five thousand international students a year from across the globe, with most coming from other countries in East Asia. Four top universities in the Philippines are ranked among the world’s best in the QS World University Rankings® 2018, with a further two featured in the QS Asia University Rankings 2018. The top four are:-  University of the Philippines; Ateneo de Manila University; De La Salle University and University of Santo Tomas. The Filipino tertiary education system offers similar degree opportunities to western countries. BA, BSc, BIT, BeD and BBus degrees that are offered in Australia and the UK are all tertiary degree options in the Philippines. A further benefit to offshore Filipino talent is that studies are conducted in English from preschool, through primary and secondary education all the way through to tertiary level.

A high level of education and qualifications of offshore teams is crucial to business success. For detailed questions around this and other areas to consider, click here to download our eBook 'The 30 Essential Questions to Ask a Provider Before You Outsource'. It will ensure you're informed and have the right questions to ask when considering the next step.