Los Angeles, CA, October 8, 2020 – iTEP International is pleased to announce a new partnership with Sequoia Group and Alibaba English Schools in Vietnam. The partnership aims to make the iTEP Conversation exam widely available to young professionals in Vietnam looking to formally assess their English-speaking proficiency.

“Many individuals in Vietnam take a Business English Conversation Course, or even Intensive English Course, to demonstrate that they have the English language skills and qualifications for the job market. Taking the iTEP Conversation exam is a great way to formally document their English progression and fluency level,” said Young Hee, president of Sequoia.

Through its partnership with Sequoia, Alibaba English Schools will offer the iTEP Conversation testing at eight locations across Vietnam. Alibaba offers workshops, career seminars, and English classes that infuse soft skills and successful thinking into teaching to encourage their students to not only learn English, but also be better versions of themselves. Most of Alibaba’s students are young adults, either in college or recent graduates, preparing themselves to enter the job market.

“Vietnam’s job market is quite competitive and, in most cases, candidates are required to submit more than just their resume and cover letter; large domestic companies and foreign companies also want to see the cultural and linguistic qualities in a candidate, and require proof of English proficiency from the candidates. iTEP Conversation test will be the tool to assess the English-speaking proficiency of Alibaba’s students who are preparing themselves to start their professional lives,” Hee stated.

Sequoia Group, with headquarters in Seoul, Korea, has over 15 years of experience in the international education industry supporting students and parents with counselling and the international admissions process to boarding schools and universities around the world. Sequoia Group operates a certified iTEP test center in Korea and has a long and lasting relationship with iTEP International. In early 2020, Sequoia expanded into Vietnam.

“Sequoia and Alibaba have identified a need in Vietnam for young professionals to provide proof of English language competency – particularly speaking proficiency. The iTEP Conversation exam is the perfect option. We look forward to this new partnership,” said Jim Brosam II., president of iTEP.