Can international students solve Canada’s labour market needs?
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Statistics Canada recently reported that Canada is facing record high job vacancies – 915,500 in the fourth quarter of 2021, 80 per cent more than in 2019 and 63.4 per cent more than in 2020.
New research, conducted by IDP, a leading recruiter of international students, found that 33 per cent of students wanting to study in Canada intend to work in the country upon completing their studies and 30 per cent intend to seek permanent residency.
With Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announcing that Canada will welcome nearly 432,000 immigrants this year to fill critical labour-market gaps and support a post-pandemic economic recovery, international students can plan on becoming an integral component of Canada’s future workforce.
The research also reveals that the top employment sectors for students are related to science, IT, education and health, where Canada suffers from a skills shortage and where most newcomers in 2021 on temporary status are employed in. When deciding which country to study in, international students cited the quality of education available and post-graduation employment opportunities. Few students were motivated to change subjects because of extended post-study work rights or the offer of a pathway to permanent resident status.
“Tomorrow’s international students are motivated by the return on investment of their education and are willing to change country and subject to secure future employment,” said Jonah Duffin, Director of External Relations at IDP. “While Canada should congratulate itself on the positive perceptions it enjoys and the popularity it has amongst international students, it must not be complacent. The US is a key competitor, and its attractiveness is increasing rapidly while Australia is reopening its borders with ambitious plans to rebound. In nearly twenty years in working in this industry, this is the most competitive I have seen it with countries looking to not only grow international student numbers but also to diversify the countries they recruit from. Intelligent, targeted and data-driven student recruitment strategies will be important in achieving these aims.”
According to the IDP data, Canada remains the number one destination of choice for students with 27 per cent of respondents stating it was their first-choice destination. This is followed by the USA (20 per cent) and UK and Australia in joint third place (19 per cent).
Student perceptions of the leading destination countries appear to be driving the choice of destination, with Canada most often ranking number one on key factors such as graduate employment opportunities, post-study work policies and welfare while the US and UK are perceived as offering the highest quality of education.