Advocacy

International education remains a major focus of CICan’s advocacy efforts.  

In mid-February, the government of Canada began to lighten border measures as part of a transition in its response to the pandemic. This included an easing of on-arrival and pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers, the latter being removed all together on April 1st. Still, international students who do not qualify as fully-vaccinated (despite a growing list of Public Health Agency of Canada approved vaccines) are not able to enter Canada. As travel restrictions continue to ease, we are engaging with relevant government officials towards the removal of remaining barriers to entry for international students and administrative processes for Designated Learning Institutions.  

In 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processed just over 556,000 study permits, up 31% from 2019. Of them, 57% were associated to a college or institute and 46% to a CICan member institution. Approval rates for all applicants in 2021 were 57.9% (60% for CICan member institutions), an increase of close to 10% from 2020, but a slight drop from 2019. In mid-February, CICan’s President & CEO, Denise Amyot appeared before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration for a study on the ’recruitment and acceptance rates of foreign students in Quebec and Canada, including francophone students from African countries’. Among other things, she recommended the continued expansion of the Study Direct Stream in key markets, and better two-way information sharing between IRCC and CICan member institutions to increase transparency, predictability, and efficiency. The report, Differential Treatment in Recruitment and Acceptance Rates of Foreign Students in Quebec and in the Rest of Canada contains 35 recommendations some of which result from CICan’s intervention, will support ongoing advocacy efforts and engagement wit IRCC and other relevant departments. 

In January, IRCC announced new funding for additional staff to reduce application inventories; Budget 2022 (p.118) also committed new resources ‘to facilitate the timely and efficient entry of a growing number of visitors, workers and students’. Still, a large proportion of students did not receive a decision on their study permit application in time to arrive in Canada for the start of classes this spring and, as it sands, there were just over 173,000 study permits waiting to be processed. Though IRCC was not willing to introduce a service guarantee leading into the fall intake, study permits continue to be prioritized, next to those being processed on humanitarian grounds (Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel) – note that applicants can now apply for financial assistance), and processing capacity continues to expand, albeit slower than demand. In recent meetings with high-level officials from IRCC, including Minister Fraser, CICan is urging the department to prioritize study permit applications with a fall start date to ensure best possible outcomes for students and institutions.  

Marketing & Recruitment

Promoting colleges internationally and supporting market diversification will be an ongoing area of focus for CICan’s updated international strategy. In January, CICan coordinated a virtual marketing and recruitment event with trade commissioners in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) where 20 member institutions participated in nearly 700 one-on-one meetings with pre-selected education agents. Building on this momentum, and in collaboration with trade commissioners in target markets, CICan is excited to offer a suite of CICan/EduCanada branded marketing and recruitment events developed specifically for member institutions. These include:  

• Virtual Pacific Alliance Student Fair (October 2022); 
• Virtual Francophone Africa Student Fair (November 2022);  
• South-Asia B2B networking event with education agents (Kathmandu, Nepal – February 2023).  

Thanks, in part, to funding provided by Global Affairs Canada through the CanExport for Associations program and IDP Connect for providing additional data and market demand insights, we’re pleased to share a May 2022 update to a report entitled, ‘Emerging Markets for International Student Recruitment to Canadian Colleges and Institutes’ released initially in 2019.  

Global Skills Opportunity

On February 28th, the Government of Canada lifted the blanket advisory against all non-essential travel, meaning physical mobility is once again possible under the Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) program. As of May 31st, 2022, 882 students completed or were in the process of completing an enriching mobility experience through a GSO funded project – 631 (72%) of them were associated to a CICan member institution. Close to 60% reported as being low-income, 20% identified as Indigenous and 15% as a student with a disability. They have engaged with peers in 44 countries and have reported positive impacts in terms of skill acquisition.

Owing to additional delays in project implementation brought on by the onset of Omicron, CICan provided the opportunity for GSO project leads to reforecast their project expenses through to March 2025. CICan then sought approval from ESDC to reprofile yearly funding commitments, as outlined in our contribution agreement, to better align them with GSO project budgets. With ESDC being favourable to this request, CICan is now connecting with GSO-project leads to approve all reforecasted GSO project budgets and is in the process of amend contribution agreements with implementing member institutions, as necessary.  

Following a successful round of innovation projects completed in April 2021, CICan’s GSO team is pleased to share this summary report Innovation Fund Report 2020-2021 that outlines key take-aways and outcomes along with an inventory of tools and resources that were developed as a result. A subsequent round of innovation funding is tentatively being planned for implementation in fiscal year 2023/24. It will promote increased cross-sectoral consortia (working groups of colleges and universities), scalable outcomes, and innovative partnerships.  

To build on learnings from the Innovation Fund, and to further facilitate knowledge sharing between institutions and build capacity, GSO partnered with CBIE to deliver a webinar series on topics related to outbound student mobility:  

1. Building Inclusive Wraparound Supports for Outbound Mobility 
2. Articulating Global Competencies Gained from Outbound Mobility 
3. Fostering a Culture of Outbound Mobility on Campus 

A “GSO Champions ECM,” LinkedIn group has also been created to facilitate knowledge sharing and is open to individuals working in international outbound mobility at postsecondary institutions across Canada. A GSO certificate of completion and LinkedIn badge has also been developed and will be shared with all implement institutions for distribution to GSO students who have completed their outbound mobility experience. Follow GSO on Instagram to see pictures of students as they receive their certificate! Also, stay tuned for an upcoming GSO photo contest! 

At the end of March, GSO published its first quarterly newsletter – Global Horizons. This included an op-ed by Rick Hanson, paralympic athlete and passionate supporter of people with disabilities in Canada, entitled ‘Paralympic Model Shows the Way: Removing barriers opens doors to career success for students with disabilities’. Check out the News Center on the Global Skills Opportunity website to stay up to date with all things GSO and sign up here to receive the next edition of Global Horizons directly to your inbox.  

In April, GSO hosted a session at the CICan22 conference, welcoming representatives from EU’s Erasmus+ and Australia’s New Colombo Plan for a dialogue on the systemic benefits of international learning experiences. Attending GSO-implementing member institutions were also profiled in a PIE News article on the importance and ongoing relevance of virtual mobility.  

In September, CICan and GSO will participate in the European Association for International Education (EAIE) conference as part of the EduCanada Pavilion. This will be an opportunity to profile GSO on the international stage and support increased partnerships and institutional connections.  

Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE)

• SAGE 01 implemented by Vancouver Island University with Parkland College and the Marine Institute has commenced their Preparatory Program at ITVET Stann Creek, Belize.

• SAGE 02 Algonquin College with Dalhousie University has commenced their second Preparatory delivery in Dominica.

• SAGE 01, 02, 03, 05 (Jamaica) and 06 (St. Lucia), Vancouver Island University with Parkland College and the Marine Institute, Algonquin College with Dalhousie University, Marine Institute with Nova Scotia Community College, Niagara College with College of the North Atlantic, and Dalhousie with Algonquin, respectively, have begun their applied research initiatives.

• SAGE 3 After a successful pre-apprenticeship program in Dominica, an apprenticeship program has commenced in Grenada.  

An additional $3.75 million in funding for the program was approved by Global Affairs Canada. Subsequently, Requests for Proposals (RFP) for Eco-Tourism and Educational Technology have been posted both of which have generated a lot of interest amongst members. A consultancy for Women in Skills Trades has also been posted. 

The St. Lucia’s first all-woman group of agricultural workers to work in Canada, have received an orientation in St. Lucia provided by the SAGE Senior Technical Advisor (STA). Pat Bidart was able to visit the workers in May 2022 at the strawberry farm in Nova Scotia where they currently work. An appearance was also made at the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum in May, combined with college and institutes visits in Nova Scotia and Alberta. 

For more information please contact Caroline Marrs.

The Pacific Alliance Education for Employment Program (PA-EFE)

The PA-EFE Program started its final year of implementation with a total of 16 institutional partnerships/technical assistance projects. Further to the last Call for Proposals in November 2021, two new technical assistance partnerships projects were created in Peru. Fanshawe College, in consortium with Humber College, will support the development of a distance learning platform (B.08.1) and Humber College in consortium with Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu will support the pilot implementation of a national network of digital fabrication laboratories (B.08.2). 

The Report and Executive Summary from the Intersectoral Forum on Environmental Sustainability in the Extractive Sector: Best Practices and Policies from the Pacific Alliance and Canada, that took place virtually in October and November 2021, is now available. The recordings from the different webinars are also available and can be viewed by visiting our YouTube Program channel. These tools highlight the best practice and policy examples that were shared, in order to help strengthen the capacity of national and regional actors as well as the dialogue between the four PA countries and Canada on the challenges and priorities related to environmental sustainability. The report was originally published in Spanish in February 2022 and is also available in French. 

Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Program (KBEST)

In March 2022, CICan signed a Contribution Agreement with GAC for this new, seven-year, $25 million program to support the Government of Kenya in achieving its goals for an enhanced blue economy.  

Research, analysis and consultants are underway to develop the program’s Project Implementation Plan (PIP), due in September 2022. Additional upcoming deliverables include a gender analysis, rapid labour market scan and baseline study before, with RFPs expected to be posted early next fiscal year.  

Focusing on the country’s coastal and Lake Victoria regions, the program will work with two national TVET institutions as regional blue economy TVET hubs and with 20 county-level vocational training centres (VTCs) that will deliver the training to students. It will also engage the private sector to identify skills gaps, develop occupational standards and curricula, improve training facilities, and provide internships and attachments. In addition, it will engage women’s organizations and other civil society organizations in outreach and advocacy and will work with Nairobi-based Equity Group Foundation to provide scholarships and other student support for girls and women. 

For more information please contact Caroline Marrs.

Kenya Education for Employment Project (KEFEP)

KEFEP is in its last year, winding up a very successful and highly regarded program. Institutional and thematic partnerships ended by March 31, 2022. The last year of KEFEP is dedicated to program close-out and knowledge synthesis. 

An online knowledge sharing forum in March 2022 was very well attended, where each partnership presented key achievements, innovations, challenges and recommendations, and how the impact and results of the collaboration will be sustained. 

GAC approved a no-cost extension for this final year primarily to allow us all to demonstrate results given the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the roll-out of the new Competency-based Education and Training (CBET) courses developed by KEFEP. Of the 17 courses developed, 16 have been approved and accredited, with the accreditation of the final course expected soon. To date, nine KEFEP courses have been launched with the remaining seven expected to launch in September 2022. Marketing of the new and accredited KEFEP courses is ongoing. 

Originally planned for January 2022, the official handover ceremony for KEFEP equipment is scheduled for July 2022 at Sigalagala Polytechnic, with planned participation from the Kenyan government and the Canadian High Commission in Kenya.  

For more information please contact Caroline Marrs.

Supporting Innovation in the Technical and Vocational Education Sector (SITVES)

All nine Kenyan TVET partner institutions have now finalized their applied research projects and have provided their project completion reports, research reports and policy briefs to CICan for review.  

In collaboration with consortium partners Linking Industry with Academia Programme Trust and the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute, CICan hosted a final online forum in May 2022. Partners presented their research findings, recommendations and sustainability plans to representatives from the International Development Research Centre, SITVES Program Advisory Committee members (the Kenya government, TVET agencies and industry), and George Brown College (the SITVES Applied Research pillar lead). The Forum was attended by 48 participants. A final evaluation and a knowledge synthesis exercise are currently underway.  

For more information please contact Caroline Marrs.

Young Africa Works in Kenya: Youth Employability through Technical and Vocational Education and Training

• Pre-service and in-service training for 80 master trainers from the Kenya Technical Trainers College (KTTC) and the 25 partner TVET institutions was conducted by TVET-01 (Algonquin College in partnership with Durham College and Camosun College).
  

• Training on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for leadership at the TVET partners in preparation of RPL roll at their institutions was conducted by TVET-02 (Humber College in partnership with NorQuest College, Red River College).

• Training designed to guide participants from the TVET Curriculum Development Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) in conducting curriculum gap audits was delivered by TVET-03 (NorQuest College in partnership with Seneca College and College of the Rockies).

• TVET-03 (NorQuest College in partnership with Seneca College and College of the Rockies) delivered a webinar to discuss the roadmaps they developed intended to guide Institutional Partnerships in the curriculum development and approval process.

• Training on the use and application of Labor Market Information (LMI) for trainers from KTTC was conducted by TVET-11 (Seneca College in partnership with Fisheries and Marine Institute and Niagara College). 

• Career guidance and mentorship services training was conducted by TVET-12 (Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick in partnership with Cégep Saint-Jean sur Richelieu and Vanier College).

• Applied research training for heads of department, trainers, and industry liaison officers at TVET partners was conducted by TVET-13 (Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in partnership with Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick and John Abbott College).

• CBET and technical training for participants from 25 partner TVET institutions was conducted by Phase 2 institutional partnerships.

• Training sessions on gender mainstreaming and social inclusion for the members of Gender Mainstreaming Committees (GMC) and Women in Technical Education (WITED) committees took place.

• Regional workshops were held on monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) for partner TVET institutions and a MEL workshop for principals from the 26 partner TVET institutions and government representatives.  

• Three Partnership Coordination Committee (PCC) meetings were held with the aim of sharing updates and lessons learned among partners.

• CICan team supported partner TVET institutions in navigating the process for establishing their Phase 2 Industry Advisory Committees (IACs) and continued to initiate new industry partnerships by reaching out to industry and discussing probable areas of collaboration and sharing synergies.
   
• The program delivered IT equipment to support the MEL teams at TVET partners. In addition, the program procured and delivered a motor vehicle to Kabete National Polytechnic to support the Automotive Engineering Level 3 CBET course and a tractor to North-Eastern National Polytechnic to support Mechanical & Automotive Engineering as well as Agriculture Machinery & Equipment Level 4 CBET courses. The program also finalized the plan for the equipment procurement that will support some of the courses to be launched part of Phase 2 Institutional Partnerships.

• The program on-boarded 75 mentee institutions. The mentor Kenyan TVET institutions will help to build capacity at mentee institutions through knowledge exchanges, invitations to workshops and training sessions, and sharing of project products such as learning materials, policies, RPL procedures, career guidance tools.  

For more information please contact Caroline Marrs.

Skills Training for Employment in Mozambique (STEM)

At the end of June 2022, the STEM program will have reached its end. After many delays due to the international shortage of computer components, in the month of May 2022 the IT supplier completed the delivery and installation of the computers. As part of the project’s commitment to its sustainability, the project hired three consultants, in the fields of Mechanics, Electricity, and Gas Processing, to provide additional training on the use of the equipment purchased by the STEM program so the teachers at Instituto Industrial de Matundo (IIMatundo) and Instituto Industrial e Comercial de Pemba (IICPemba) can increase their knowledge and skills and have the necessary confidence on how to operate the equipment once it is time to have the hands-on activities with their students. We arrive at the end of the program with great achievements and a feeling of accomplishment, and here you can check a short video to give you an idea of what was done during this 8-year project. 

One Thousand Women: I am a Woman, I Exist, I Participate (FEP)

The first phase of the project concerning the situational analysis has been completed. This activity consisted of making an exhaustive inventory of the situation of girls/women in the different areas of intervention of the Project. This was done in order to develop a gender equality strategy and its action plan which aims at the social and economic development of vulnerable women. 

CICan is pleased to announce that the first call for proposals has been issued in the college network for Technical assistance: support for the 1,000 Women Project for the implementation and launch of the Prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) system within the vocational training (TVET) institutional partners of the project, by promoting gender integration in its adaptation. The winning CIC will be announced mid-June 2022. 

The next steps will be holding the Steering, Technical and Advisory Committees on Gender Equality which will take place during the week of June 14, 2022 in Senegal. These committees are made up of representatives from CICan, GAC, and Senegalese partner ministries and institutions. The purpose of these committees is to ensure that the Project’s activities are carried out according to the PIP and AWP; to ensure the application and respect of the Project’s principles; to submit recommendations, analyze them and ratify decisions while ensuring harmonization with the Project’s strategic partners in a spirit of consultation, inclusion and participation. 

In the coming months, other calls for proposals will be launched in the network, notably for PLAR and accompanying services, awareness-raising and promotion of gender equality, women’s leadership and mentoring, adaptation of programs and services to learners in a PLAR system, gender-sensitive pedagogy and women’s entrepreneurship. 

Also of note was the visit to Senegal in March 2022 of the Canadian Minister of International Cooperation, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, during which the moment was seized to honour the signing of the memorandum of understanding between CICan and the MEFPAI. 

Additionally there was the reception of the Minister of Employment, Vocational Training, Apprenticeship and Integration, Mr. Dame Diop, who was accompanied by a Senegalese delegation to take part in the 2022 annual conference of CICan in Halifax. During this stay, visits were made to some CICs: Cégep du Vieux Montréal, Collège Lasalle, Collège de Maisonneuve, Cégep de Victoriaville and Cégep Marie-Victorin. 

The Empowerment through Skills Program (ESP)

In January 2022, the two program’s senior technical advisors were deployed to Dar es Salaam on long-term posting and four local staff were hired to support operations. A field office was established at the International House in Dar es Salaam and CICan Tanzania’s legal status as an International NGO was successfully renewed. In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding between CICan and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology was signed to formalize the collaboration between the two parties.  

From March to April 2022, the ESP field office team traveled to all 12 partner Folk Development Colleges (FDC) and conducted in-depth consultations with local government authorities, FDC staff, and leaders of local Community Based Organizations (CBO). The information and insights from these consultations were used to inform the institutional partnership RFPs, substantiate the Gender Equality Analysis and Strategy, inform the selection of local CBO partners, update the Project Implementation Plan (PIP), and inform the Year 2 workplan. Additionally, a regional Labor Market Analysis was contracted, and a first draft was shared with interested college/institute members as part of the RFP documentation.  

Twelve local CBO partners were confirmed by the respective FDC Boards and local government authorities in May 2022. The RFP for Canadian colleges and institutes was posted in May 2022.  

For more information please contact Caroline Marrs.

EFE Tunisia Al-Najah

The EFE Tunisia Al-Najah Project has resumed activities in the field. The different Partnerships have travelled to Tunisia to develop activities that were planned and postponed for almost two years due to the pandemic. Activities such as ISET-Enterprises days, awareness days on equity/equality in employment at ISETs, training in PLAR, soft skills, ICT and gender-sensitive pedagogy, were carried out between March and May 2022, with good participation of the project’s beneficiaries. 

In May 2022, CICan held its second ISET Forum: A Lever for Inclusive and Sustainable Development, in Hammamet. This Forum allowed more than 60 participants from ISETs to take a look at the Tunisian economy today and its growth sectors, in a context where climate change supports a reflection on the directions to be favoured and the opportunities to be seized. During the Forum, the participants made good reflections on actions to contribute personally and institutionally to sustainable development and the fight against climate change as well as on the particular challenges of the Tunisian regions in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Following the Forum, three leadership institutes, two of which were for women, were prepared and given by our CEO, Denise Amyot and Ginette Morel, a certified coach, with the Support of Marie-Josée Fortin, Director of International Partnerships. These three institutes were addressed to the directors of the ISETs, department directors of studies and internships of the ISETs and Presidents of the regional Chambers of Women Entrepreneurs and allowed them to improve their skills through contact with eminent leaders. 

In the coming months other field missions are planned, as well as internships in Canada from Tunisian institutional partners. 

Approval of CICan’s new International Strategy (2022-2025)

The new International Strategy (2022-2025) was approved by CICan’s Board of Directors on March 23rd, 2022 and launched on April 24th 2022 at the CICan conference in Halifax.  

The Strategy rests on three pillars:  

1. Futureproofing Canada in the world by strengthening the sector and enhancing outbound student mobility. 
2. Bringing the world to Canada by diversifying sources for student recruitment and helping to improve transitions for international students. 
3. Taking Canada to the world by promoting the college sector, strengthening our approach to international development cooperation, and driving new and innovative business development. 

With the development of a new Gender Equality policy in the coming months, CICan will continue to ensure gender equality is at the core of all activities and programs.  

Capacity Building for International Engagement

CICan recognizes that the 2030 Agenda requires all of us to develop new capacities and to think and work differently to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Reflecting on the lessons learned and best practices we’ve gathered over our 50-yrs of international programming, CICan has planned a cross-Canada, province-focused series of capacity-building sessions for international engagement. On April 5th 2022, we kicked off this series in British Columbia with 18 colleagues from 13 member institutions, focusing on available resources within CICan’s international division, learning from within the network, and accessing international cooperation and mobility projects through CICan. The second session in this series will be held in Alberta this coming Fall. 

Canada-Spain Applied Education Partnerships Development Event

Following a successful partnership development mission to Dubai from March 21st – 25th 2022 involving 10 members, CICan organized the first Canada-Spain Applied Education Partnerships Development Event in collaboration with the Embassy of Canada to Spain between June 13th to 15th 2022. A delegation of seven colleges joined CICan in Madrid and Donostia-San Sebastian for the event that served as a platform for member institutions to connect, network, and discuss opportunities for partnerships with Spanish institutions. The Event was organized on the days leading up to the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics Conference in Donostia-San Sebastian.  

Canadian institutions awarded medals at the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) Conference in Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.

Congratulations to the 2022 Awards of Excellence winners at the recent WFCP Conference in Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain! Canadian institutions were over-represented and walked away with medals in almost every category. More information about the award winners from Canada and elsewhere will be available in WFCP’s upcoming “World’s Best Practice Guide in Professional Technical Education and Training (Volume IV)”.

• Applied Research and Innovation: SAIT (Gold), BCIT (Silver), Lambton College (Bronze)
• Cyber and Data Security and Social Engineering: Durham College (Bronze)
• Global Citizenship: Humber College (Gold), Niagara College (Bronze)
• Indigenous Education: BCIT (Gold), Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Silver)
• Sustainable Development Goals: Colleges and Institutes Canada (Gold)
• Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion: Jane Ngobia, Sheridan College (Silver)
• Lifetime Achievement: Denise Amyot, Colleges and Institutes Canada (Gold)
• Outstanding Student Achievement: Andrea Prins, Lambton College (Gold)

Feasibility study for FiveThirteen Capital

CICan selected as finalist for the Association of the Year

CICan is preparing a proposal for Convergence’s Gender-Responsive Climate Finance Window to fund a feasibility study to create a blended finance facility, which would include an impact investment fund combined with a technical assistance facility commensurate to an applied research centre. The facility’s main objective would be to support primarily women entrepreneurs and small and medium business owners in Kenya. FiveThirteen Capital – the chosen name for the facility is due to its focus on the intersection between SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) – is under development and will bring together various implementing partners across Canada and local partners in Kenya, including investors, colleges and institutes, and other stakeholders to provide finance, training, applied research and other support services to entrepreneurs in Kenya. The proposal is due in September 2022 and CICan hopes to begin the feasibility study before the end of the calendar year. 

CICan is thrilled to have been selected as a finalist for the PIEoneer Association of the Year Award. Put forward by its International Advisory Committee, this nomination speaks to CICan’s most impactful 2021 achievements include the launch of Global Skills Opportunity (GSO), Canada’s Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program, advocacy with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to ensure that study opportunities both virtual and in person remained possible for international students – maintaining Canada’s position as an attractive and welcoming destination – and the ongoing delivery and expansion of international cooperation programing, despite travel restrictions and advisories. We look forward to celebrating later this year in London our success, the success of our members, and that of so many others in the international education community.