Quebec announces a program to retain more foreign students
Quebec Tries to Encourage More Foreign Students to Stay in Province After Graduation
Lia Levesque — The Canadian Press, October 11, 2016
MONTREAL — Quebec grants $ 1.6 million to Montreal International, which has developed a program to encourage more foreign students to remain in the province after graduation.
The program will specifically target graduates in “sectors in demand,” although it will also be open to students in other programs, announced the Minister of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion, Kathleen Weil, during a press conference in Montreal on Tuesday.
The CEO of Montreal International, Hubert Bolduc, hopes to increase the number of students who remain in Montreal after graduation from 3 000 to 9 000.
In fact, approximately 30 000 students come to Montreal to study, noted Mr. Bolduc. As part of a survey conducted with these students, about 15 000 had said they wanted to stay in Montreal, but the actual number who remained was only 3 000.
The main identified obstacles to their establishment were language, finding a job, and then the heavy weight of the immigration process, noted Mr. Bolduc.
As part of the developed project, universities, colleges and vocational training centers will be targeted. Montreal International, in particular, will promote permanent residence and will organize joint information sessions with the Department (MIDI). Students will also be better informed about employment opportunities.
Mr. Bolduc argued that when seeking to attract a foreign company or organization to Quebec, the issue of workforce quality is often crucial. He gave an example of the video game, animation and virtual reality field, where growth is fast and graduates are in high demand.
The tools developed by Montreal International will also be used for the same purpose by other organizations in other regions of Quebec.
Minister Kathleen Weil noted on her part that as of December 31, 2015, there were 50 225 foreign students in universities, colleges and vocational training centers in Quebec. For more detailed information, please refer to the link at http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/education/201610/04/01-5027191-quebec-annonce-un-programme-pour-retenir-plus-detudiants-etrangers.php