Orientation and arrival: the first two weeks decide retention

Recruitment effort concentrates on the months before arrival. A disproportionate share of the outcome is determined in the fortnight after it.

The practical list

• Airport arrival. Whether someone meets them, and what happens if the flight is delayed.
• A phone that works on day one. A student who cannot contact anyone, or be contacted, is a parent's worst fear realised.
• A bank account, which in many destinations takes longer than the student has money for.
• Registration and immigration formalities, with deadlines that carry consequences.
• One person they have met whose name they remember.

Why it is a recruitment issue, not a welfare one

The student reports home within days. That report reaches the extended family, the school and the agent, and it is far more influential in Vietnam than any marketing asset. A good first fortnight is a recruitment investment with a two-year payback.

The cheapest high-value item

A message to the parents when the student arrives safely. It costs one line and it is remembered for years.

Arrival and settling-in support: VNIS Recruitment Center (VRC) →