Canada's foreign student push 'mismatched' job market, data show

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Rupa Banerjee is an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University whose research focuses on the economic inclusion of immigrants.

Canada’s recruitment of international students has tilted strongly toward filling spots in business programs, while doing little to meet the demand for workers in health care and the skilled trades, according to a CBC News analysis of federal data.Canada's recruitment of international students has tilted strongly toward filling spots in business programs, while doing little to meet the demand for workers in health care and the skilled trades, according to a CBC News analysis of federal data.

The figures, which have not previously been made public, show that business-related programs accounted for 27 per cent of all study permits approved from 2018 to 2023, more than any other field. "Students are graduating from programs that are not particularly valuable in the labour market, that are not allowing them to get the jobs that will then allow them to transition and become productive Canadian permanent residents," Banerjee said.

"There is a responsibility of provinces in this ... to make sure that the programs that are offering to international students are the ones that fit the job market," Miller said Tuesday on Parliament Hill.Canada's international student spike was blamed on private colleges. Here's what really happened

"International students are needed to fill employment gaps," said a statement from Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont., which topped the national list for international study permits in four of the past five years. "Our growth over the last few years has been tied to our mission: to meet workforce demands in the communities we serve."An official from Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ont.

"I don't think that there was any effort or plan to match the enrolments by field of study to the needs of the labour market," said Parisa Mahboubi, a senior policy analyst at the C.D. Howe Institute, in an interview. "We need much closer scrutiny of what skills we are trying to build through our post-secondary institutions," Yalnizyan said.

"No opportunities are here for business students," he said. "I have been trying to find jobs in finance, and it's not possible." Singh's challenges in finding relevant work do not reflect what most international business students have experienced, said Ron Seguin, senior vice president international relations at St. Clair College.

Usher believes the provinces deserve more of the blame than the federal government for the makeup of the international student body. "Colleges and universities are autonomous and have the freedom to make their own decisions regarding international enrolment," said Liz Tuomi, Dunlop's press secretary in an email to CBC News.However, Ontario is barring international students from enrolling in one-year business/management programs while the ministry conducts a review, said Tuomi.

Conestoga College under fire by students, union leaders for aggressive international student recruitment

 

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