International Students Head To Vancouver For College
Fri, 10/14/2016 - 06:26

Vancouver, BC, is a popular destination for international students heading to high school, a career college, a traditional college, or to university because they are very welcome in this cosmopolitan city.

Not only do international students comprise a large percentage of the student population at the higher levels, their presence also affects the number and types of restaurants springing into existence, the growth of rental units, and the swelling of public transit users, demonstrating the need for more and better options. Both the city and the education system are growing in many ways because of the influx of international students.

As well, international students soon become aware that there are many career opportunities in British Columbia, and Vancouver is rated as one of the most livable cities in the world in which to study, live, and work. As result, many students apply to remain in Vancouver after their studies are concluded.

Foreign Students Impact the Education System

Foreign students, or international students, are defined as those who are not Canadian citizens, immigrants, or permanent residents, and do not hold dual passports. BC now has more than 110,000 international students, which is about one-third of the national total, with most of them located in Vancouver and district (Metro Vancouver).

  1. At UBC in Vancouver, 23%, or more than 12,000 students, are international students, and in the graduate programs, one in three falls into that category.
  1. At Simon Fraser University, 18% of undergraduates and 29% in the graduate programs are international students.
  2. There are thousands of international students located in Langara College, Douglas College, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Capilano University, plus many private colleges in the district, such as Universal Learning Institute.
  1. One of the reasons for the popularity of ULI, a private career college, for instance, can be attributed to its specialty of providing the type of environment needed by international students:
  • refining their English skills
  • teaching them the cultural niceties of working in Canada
  • teaching and providing instruction in the skills needed for a variety of occupations
  • helping them prepare a resume and practice in job interviewing
  • offering a pathway to transfer into a traditional college or university

Foreign Students Like Vancouver’s Job Opportunities

As well as studying in Canada at one or more of the various educational institutions, international students are also attracted to the many and varied job opportunities offered by Vancouver and the province of BC.

In the last quarter of 2015, the Job Bank reported that BC had the highest job vacancy rate in Canada at 2.8%. This percentage is the sum of all occupied and vacant jobs that are unfilled out of all payroll jobs available.

  • Nationally, sales and services had the highest number of vacancies at 40.4% of all job vacancies.
  • Within the business sector, finance and administration occupations had the highest number of vacancies followed by auditors, accountants, and investment professionals.
  • Because of Canada’s aging population, the nursing and health care industries are growing sectors and will continue to need more registered nurses and licensed practical nurses for a long time to come.
  • Of particular interest to international students is the thriving tourism industry in Vancouver, which appreciates job candidates who are fluent in two or more languages.
  • Traditional colleges and universities provide undergraduate and post-graduate courses for students seeking an academic education, and career colleges emphasize the training of job skills in growth occupations.

Educational and job opportunities in Vancouver and the province of BC make this part of Canada a popular choice for international students who want to further their education at high school, a career college, a traditional college, or a university.

For example, ULI provides practicum and co-op opportunities for all its students and help them acquire working experiences in North America.

It is also a prime choice for international students who want to remain and work in Canada. You’ll love Vancouver, whatever your reason for coming here!

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to the Universal Learning Institute and a clickable link back to this page.

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