Saint John Newcomers Centre and the New Brunswick Multicultural Council have released a report detailing the difficulties International Students in New Brunswick, Canada are facing in obtaining jobs after completing their post-secondary education
The report revealed that 81% of the 200 students surveyed stated they wanted to stayback in New Brunswick province following graduation. However less than 25% will be able to stay back due to the absence of job opportunities.
International students have between 1 to 3 years to obtain employment before they have to leave the country.
International students articulated their concerns at a recent press conference, detwoling the n many r for networking and support for current employers.
Students admit that the timeline for obtaining employment could be onerous due to the language barriers and learning curves. Students felt they were at the bottom of the list of job applications when looking for work.
The author’s of the report did not cast aspersion on the government for the students’ struggles in obtaining work after graduation. Both authors agreed that for many New Brunswickers, hiring and working with international students is a fairly new concept, noting that with more time and education.
But when asked, a series of university professors said many of the post-secondary institutions they spoke with lack services — some noting that one full-time employee helps as many as 800 students.
“You can imagine them trying to do the best to their ability, but it’s still not enough,” said Samah El Maghlawy, an instructor with the facility of business at UNBSJ and the lead of pre-employment programs at the Saint John Newcomers Centre.
“Universities should increase — or we should say could increase — partnerships with Saint John institutions like the newcomers centre to help our students,” said Emin Civi, a professor with the facility of business at UNBSJ.
“If there are individuals that come together, and it doesn’t grow, and it doesn’t get institutionalized, it disappears.”
Seventy-eight per cent of the students surveyed have been in Canada for less than two years, with a majority of the students coming from places like Nigeria, China and India. Most of them plan on finding employment through job fairs and internships.
According to the New Brunswick Multicultural Council, international students finding a job tailored to their skillset needs to be prioritized in the province.
“The desire for international students to gain meaningful employment in New Brunswick needs to be explored and promoted,” said Maura McKinnon, the New Brunswick Multicultural Council interim executive director.
“When you look at the numbers as a whole — 120,000 jobs over 10 years — that’s a lot, and international students will play a big role in that.”
Canada remains a popular destination for International students from across the globe with several provinces with numerous colleges and universities offering programs including: Bachelor’s, Masters, Post Graduate Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma and Post Secondary Certificates.
Studing in Canada with a Designated Learning Institution offers a pathway to residency and citizenship through the Post Graduate Work Permit.
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