International Student Recruitment: Gain Proficiency

Skilled Immigrants Dept: How will we deal with this? While ramping up domestic training is crucial, immigration must play a central role. Already, 75 per cent of Canada's workforce growth is attributable to immigration, growing to 100 per cent in the next decade. As Immigration Minister Jason Kenney noted: "Canada's post-recession economy demands a high level of economic immigration to keep our economy strong.", according to Vancouver Sun. There are additional immediate compelling arguments in favour of international education. Today 3.7 million post-secondary students study internationally, growing to an expected seven million by 2025. Canada hosted more than 218,000 international students at all levels last year. They injected $6.5 billion into the Canadian economy, more than exports of either coniferous lumber or coal. Over $300 million annually in government revenue and 83,000 Canadian jobs are directly attributable to international education, which is now Canada's No. 1 export to China, No. 2 export to South Korea and No. 4 to India and declining fertility coupled with longer retirements presents us with a demographic challenge. We face a predicted national shortage of over one million qualified workers by 2025. Our ability to address this looming crisis will define our society for decades to come. Other nations face similar challenges, so we must be ever more strategic in meeting our workforce needs. Skilled immigrants face well-characterized challenges to success. International students, on the other hand, largely surmount these challenges: During their studies, they earn Canadian credentials, gain proficiency in an official language, and establish professional and personal networks in Canada. With roughly 50 per cent of international students planning to stay and work in Canada, ramping up international student recruitment is an effective strategy for economic immigration. And the 50 per cent who plan to leave? They often land in leading positions with business or government in their home countries, increasing Canada's economic and diplomatic connections. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.