Canada remains one of the top choices for international students seeking to study abroad. The opportunity to gain work experience during and after graduation is top of mind for international students. Having the opportunity to work while studying and gain employability skills in addition to having the option to apply for a post-graduation work permit and permanent residency more long term makes Canada a top choice.
Although international students are eager to come to Canada to study and find employment opportunities, they continue to face several challenges finding work, both when they are students and during their transition from graduation to career. According to the 2021 Canadian Bureau for International Education survey, the key challenges they face include: lack of host country work experience, hesitant employers, lack of personal and professional networks, lack of job entry supports and legal barriers.
Employers are a key stakeholder and play a role in the journey, experiences and challenges students and graduates experience. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, hiring and retaining international students can help employers meet their labour needs, increase their competitiveness, access new markets and make their organization more effective.
However, in a Canadian Journal of Career Development article about international students’ work experience, students indicate there is uncertainty in hiring international students because of legalities, lack of Canadian workplace knowledge and cross-cultural communication. Other concerns include the cost to hire and train, with the fear of international students leaving either the region and/or Canada upon graduation. These concerns are heightened in regions that experience high numbers of small-to-medium-sized employers. More than half of the employers in the Okanagan region are made up of organizations with four or fewer employees, therefore heightening the concerns of hiring international students.
“Students need to be equipped with information about the post-graduate work permit and permanent residence process in the early stages of career planning …”
UBC Okanagan’s Career Development Team partnered with the Global Engagement Office to design programing for international students that addresses their unique challenges and supports employers in debunking the myths around hiring international students. They also collaborated to provide information on immigration processes to support employers’ recruitment of graduates with international backgrounds.
The university used a holistic approach to design the services and included all key stakeholders – students, employers and licensed immigration consultants – in the design process. Students need to be equipped with information about the post-graduate work permit and permanent residence process in the early stages of career planning in order to inform decisions regarding their career and immigration aspirations. It is beneficial for students to begin the career exploration and design process early in their post-secondary career to overcome potential challenges in finding work and be prepared to enter the Canadian workforce.
Engaging employers in service design helps benefits students and organizations. Employers need support in understanding the legalities and benefits of hiring international students and graduates.
In order to address the challenges identified above, UBC Okanagan launched one of Canada’s most comprehensive career support initiatives, called Global Pathways. Global Pathways is a collaborative approach between the Career Development and Global Engagement departments. This team consists of:
- a career development specialist focused on the international student and graduate journey;
- an employer and industry liaison focused on supporting employers in hiring international students and graduates and deepening their understanding in cross-cultural competencies; and
- a registered immigration consultant who supports students with PR pathways while at university and for three years post-graduation.
Global Pathways launched in September 2023 and has already seen hundreds of international students use the service as a support to overcome some of their challenges, including acquiring Canadian work experience and understanding the legalities surrounding post-graduate work permits and permanent residency. Several employers within the region are also connecting with the team and working to remove any hesitancy in hiring through education and learning more about hiring graduates seeking a pathway to permanent residence in Canada. The next step for Global Pathways is to seek funding to add a mentorship program for international students that will help address the challenge of a lack of personal and professional networks.
