Advocacy

On January 22, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a set of new measures designed to ‘stabilize growth and decrease [the] number of new international student permits issued to approximately 360,000 for 2024’. These include an intake cap on study permits for college and undergraduate students and significant changes to Post-Graduate Work Permit eligibility. CICan issued a statement in response to these measures noting, among other things, that they will have far-reaching consequences across the sector, especially in key regions, including the possibility of layoffs, closures and increased tuition fees – all of which will inevitably affect both Canadian and international students.

CICan is engaging actively with stakeholders at the national level to mitigate the impacts of these announcements. Among other things, we are calling to an immediate resumption in the processing of study permits in the absence of provincial letters of attestations. Our public messaging is focused on the broader, national-level impact a cap has on publicly supported colleges and institutes, including:

• Financial implications amid decreased provincial funding and the impact on both Canadian and international students,
• The impact on ability to address pressing issues like housing shortages, to create or enhance wrap-around support services and to contribute to Canada’s labour market and innovation needs’
• The effects on Canada’s global education brand and reputation.

Prior to this announcement, we anticipated the launch of Canada’s new International Education Strategy by the end of this fiscal year with the following areas of focus:

• Diversification (country of origin, destinations within Canada),
• Better alignment between labour market needs and programs of study,
• Protecting Canada’s brand (program integrity),
• Enhancing opportunities for Canadian students to study/work abroad,
• Greater indigenous participation and,
• Attempting to quantify the climate change impact of the international education sector in Canada.

We understand now that the launch is on pause, pending a review and refresh of the strategy. We are urging Minister Ng and the international education team at Global Affairs Canada to develop a comprehensive communications plan and urgently send positive signal to global markets highlighting that Canada remains open and welcoming to international students.

For more information, please contact Andrew Champagne.

Marketing & Recruitment

The first nine months of 2023 saw Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada process just over 341,000 (59% of the total) study permits associated to a college or institute with an average approval rate of 59%. Just under half (48%) of those permits originated in India and were approved at a rate of 69%. Though it is likely that the number of approved applicants from India will be greater again this year, small decreases in the year-over-year number of study permits processed are noticeable in June, July, August, and September. This is in part due to geo-political tensions between Canada and India and a reduction in the number of processing staff at the high commission.

Throughout the fall and with support from CanExport and Global Affairs Canada, we coordinated marketing and recruitment missions to Italy, Vietnam and the Philippines. Supporting the diversification of source countries of international students through college and institute sector specific market research and marketing and recruitment missions continues to be a priority.

Upcoming marketing and recruitment missions/events include:

• Colombia and Peru (March 1- 12, 2024): Seminars and B2Bs with education agents and potential institutional partners including CICan specific education fairs and pavilions with a focus on key program areas including Health, Hospitality, Tourism and IT. Organized in partnership with Global Affairs Canada and BMI.
• Through our corporate partnership with Scotiabank, students at participating institutions may be eligible to receive a scholarship of $500.

CICan is in the process of finalizing plans for the 2024/25 fiscal year which will include missions in West Africa, with a focus on Nigeria and Francophone markets, and Southeast Asia, with a focus on Thailand and surrounding markets. A mission to China is also being considered.

For more information, please contact Kiley Fithen.

Global Skills Opportunity

To date, just under 7,000 students – 75% of whom identify as underrepresented – have completed or where in the process of completing a GSO funded international study or work experience in one of more than 100 non-traditional destinations. Of them, 63% identify as a low-income student, 18% as a student with a disability and 12% as an Indigenous student. CICan members currently account for 45% of all participants and 47% of underrepresented student participants.  

Advocating for the renewal and expansion of Global Skills Opportunity is a key priority. Funding is in place until March 31, 2025. However, as a flagship component of Canada’s International Education Strategy (IES) and to avoid disruptions in terms of program implementation, CICan and UnivCan are seeking a renewed funding commitment for GSO in the next federal budget – Budget 2024.

As a pilot, GSO has been highly successful. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and other stakeholders including national business associations are supporting its renewal, thus demonstrating the impact that international experience has on skill acquisition and labour market development.

Still, in a tight fiscal environment we are pursuing a number of meetings/initiatives, including high-level engagement with the department of finance, and are leveraging institutional support and alumni stories to demonstrate the importance of renewed funding to Canada’s overall approach to international education and skills development.

For more information on how you can help, please contact Andrew Champagne.

Resilient health systems for All proposal update

CICan was not invited by Global Affairs Canada to develop a full proposal to support “Resilient Health Systems for All”. CICan’s $30M, seven-year concept entitled, “Resilient and Equitable Community Health in Africa (REACH Africa)” proposed to work with the East African Community (EAC) and the Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA) to improve health care service delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Strengthening Civil Society and Democratic Spaces in the Indo-Pacific Call for Concept Notes

CICan responded in November 2023 to Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) call for concept notes to support “Strengthening Civil Society and Democratic Spaces in the Indo-Pacific” in a concept entitled, “Revitalizing Indigenous Groups’ Human Rights Through Skills Training” (Project RIGHTS). The $6M, four-year concept would work with partners in Vietnam and the Philippines on five interconnected thematic areas:

1) Strengthening the enabling environment for inclusive gender- and industry-responsive TVET for Indigenous youth, particularly women;
2) Developing / delivering training programs for Indigenous youth which include pathways to further education and employment;
3) Improving outcomes for Indigenous TVET students and graduates
4) Improving student support services at partner institutions in Vietnam and the Philippines to improve access, retention, and transitions to employment for Indigenous youth, and
5) Designing / delivering civic education campaigns in Indigenous communities surrounding partner institutions to support the realization of full citizenship rights for Indigenous peoples.

CICan expects to learn in February 2024 whether Project RIGHTS will be selected by GAC to be developed into a full proposal.

Egypt Green Skills for the Climate-smart Agribusiness Network (EGYCAN) Project Proposal

CICan submitted a full proposal to GAC in October 2023, for a $10M, five-year project entitled, “Egypt Green Skills for the Climate-smart Agribusiness Network” (EGYCAN). The EGYCAN project would support the Ministry of Education and Technical Education (MoETE), the Ministry of the Environment, the National Council for Women (NCW) and other Egyptian partners in government, industry, and civil society to create Egypt’s first Agribusiness Centre of Competence (a.k.a. Centre of Excellence). This Centre will build the capacity of young women and men as they gain industry-relevant and climate-smart skills for careers in agribusiness, while also increasing the inclusiveness and resilience of this economically important sector. The Centre will initially serve a network of 10 agricultural technical schools in three governorates in lower Egypt (Beheira, Gharbia, and Menofia). The project will employ CICan’s Education for Employment (EFE) approach, which mobilizes the expertise of CICan members to work with local institutions to develop inclusive, demand-driven training programs in gender-responsive, inclusive training environments.

Green Skills for Honduras Economic Resilience Project Proposal

CICan joined a proposal as a subcontractor to SwissContact in a full proposal to GAC to enhance the green transition and economic prosperity for the poor and vulnerable in the Gulf of Fonseca Region in Honduras, with a particular focus on women, youth, and the LGBTQI community. The $12M, five-year proposal was submitted to GAC by SwissContact in December 2023. CICan’s role would be to identify Canadian institutions that would train Honduran TVET providers on gathering labour market information; develop gender responsive leadership and management training, and train staff at Honduran TVET providers to integrate market-oriented innovation into training programs through applied research partnerships.

2023 Mexican Electromobility Training Program

At the end of August 2023, CICan signed a collaboration agreement with the Institute for Development and Attention of the Youngsters of the State of Guanajuato (JuventudEsGTO) to provide a 10-day hybrid training program to talented young people and teachers from the state of Guanajuato with previous experience in local electromobility courses and practical academic background in the transformation of internal combustion vehicles to electric ones. The objective of the Program was to transfer relevant technical knowledge in electromobility through practical and online training workshops for trainees to acquire basic knowledge in electromobility. Twenty participants completed the hybrid program between September 11 and September 22, 2023 which was comprised of five days of training in Canada at Centennial College.

2024 Mexican Introduction to Avionics Short Training Program

In December 2023, CICan signed another collaboration agreement with JuventudEsGTO to provide a 14-day training program in Canada to a group of 30 talented trainees from the state of Guanajuato currently studying or who recently graduated from an Engineering program of a Mexican university.

The 72-hour program aims to provide relevant technical knowledge in avionics through theoretical and practical training to introduce the fundamentals of aircraft systems. The program will take place at Centennial College between February 12 and March 1, 2024.

CICan participation in Canada in Asia Conference and Exploration of Partnerships Development in Bangladesh

Colleges and Institutes Canada will participate in this year’s edition of the Canada-in-Asia Conference, organized by the Asia-Pacific Foundation, which will be held in Singapore from February 25-29, 2024. The inaugural conference was held in Singapore in February 2023, and the upcoming one will bring together experts, policy-makers, business leaders, and innovators from across Asia and Canada to exchange perspectives in critical sectors such as food security, energy transitions, and climate solutions. From there, CICan will travel to Bangladesh to further engage with government officials, the Asian Development Bank, and other stakeholders regarding opportunities for CICan members to support the government in its efforts to strengthen technical education.

For more information about new Partnerships Development, please contact Camille Khoury.

South African Skills Training Enhancement Program (SASTEP)

CICan’s newest international program, a Contribution Agreement with Global Affairs Canada was signed in late November 2023, thus initiating the PIP phase. An inception mission is planned for mid-February 2024. A request for proposals from members will be launched in the fall.

Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 (BCDI 2030)

The 14 scholarship projects for studies in Canada selected in September 2023 in the first call for proposals will welcome BCDI 2030 scholars from 15 partner countries. A total of 209 scholarship recipients, 60% of whom are women, will conduct a study and/or research stay in four Canadian colleges and ten universities across the country.

We invite our member colleges to take part in upcoming calls for proposals:
– February 2024: Institutional partnerships in leadership & governance and professional integration
– April 2024: Scholarship projects for studies in Canada (2^nd call)
– May 2024: Institutional partnerships in program development, gender-responsive teaching and learning environments, professional integration.

For more information, please contact Pascale Bédart or visit our new website! 

One Thousand Women: I am woman, I exist, I participate (FEP) Senegal

The One Thousand Women – Senegal announces the results for the calls for proposals that were launched on September 7, 2023:

• ETS_01_IPG Development of instruments for Professional Specialization Certificate (PSC) programs
  – Screen printing operator
  – Dyeing operator
  (Cégep du Vieux Montréal (CVM) and Centre Design et Impression Textile)

• ETS_01_CEDT-G15 Development of instruments for Professional Specialization Certificate (PSC) programs
  – Building electricity
  (Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) and Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (CSJR))

• ETS_01_LSLL Development of instruments for Professional Specialization Certificate (PSC) programs
  – Cash management
  – Consulting, installation and maintenance of photovoltaic systems
  (Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles (CGÎ))

• ETS_01_CNQP Development of instruments for Professional Specialization Certificate (PSC) programs
  – Building electricity
  – Installation and maintenance of photovoltaic solar panels
  (Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) and Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (CSJR))

• ETS_02 This institutional partnership aims to develop training on the gender approach and gender-sensitive teaching for school principals and trainers at ÉTS
  (Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (CSJR) and Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB))

• MIN_02 This institutional partnership aims to raise awareness and promote gender equity in MFPAI’s network of vocational and technical training establishments (Etablissements de Formation Professionnelle et Technique – ÉFP) and in the communities served by the project’s 14 partner institutions
  (Cégep de Jonquière and Collège Montmorency)

Upcoming Calls for Proposals:
The launch of three calls for proposals for the development of training in Validation of Prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) and support for the development of PLAR tools for Professional Specialization Certification (CPS) programs, as well as to establish new employment insertion measures. The call for proposal was issued January 30, 2024; the deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, March 15^th.

The vocational and technical training institutions targeted are:
– Centre de formation professionnelle et technique Sénégal-Japon, Dakar (CFPT-SJ)
– Lycée technique industriel Delafosse, Dakar (LTID)
– Lycée technique et commercial El Hadj Abdoulaye Niasse, Kaolack (LTCEAN)

Also, there will be further calls for proposals in March 2024:
– Women’s Leadership & Mentoring
– Women’s entrepreneurship

Empowerment through Skills Program (ESP) Tanzania

All 12 Folk Development Colleges (FDCs) have now adopted Tanzania’s new National Safeguarding Guidelines for TVET institutions. In October and November 2023, The ESP team in Tanzania provided training to 245 FDC staff, 427 student leaders and more than 2,400 other students on the content and implementation of the guidelines.

Between October and January 13 CICan members from five of the six ESP partnerships traveled to Tanzania to continue working with their Tanzanian partners in 12 communities to strengthen the capacity of trainers and staff to conduct gender-focused Labour Market Analyses to inform the ongoing development of TVET short courses:

• ESP 01: In December 2023, four (4) participants from Nova Scotia Community College, North Island College and Saskatchewan Polytechnic conducted training in life skills, entrepreneurship, and safety procedures.
• ESP 02: In November 2023, four (4) participants from Fanshawe College and Cégep de Chicoutimi conducted training in entrepreneurship and business management, food processing, and food production.
• ESP 03: In January 2024, seven (7) participants from the College of the North Atlantic, Norquest College and Canadore College will travel to Tanzania to conduct training and undertake a curriculum review in Electrical, Tailoring and Cookery and to conduct training in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Human Rights.
• ESP 05: In November 2023, three (3) participants from Seneca College and Niagara College conducted training in adult learning methods, curriculum development and team building as well as undertaking a Labour Market Analysis follow up to further validate identified short courses for development.
• ESP 06: In October 2023, five (5) participants from Sault College, Centennial College and Durham College undertook a gender-focused, regionally specific Labour Market Analysis with partners as a first step toward further short course identification and development.

Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training (KBEST) 

The first round of Requests for Proposals for nine KBEST institutional partnerships involving 22 Kenyan TVET institutions was launched on September 5^th, 2023. Interviews and selection took place in October and November 2023. The following nine partnerships which include participation from 19 member institutions were selected:

• KBEST-01 (Kisumu National Polytechnic) – Marine Institute of Memorial University in partnership with Niagara College and Seneca Polytechnic
• KBEST-02 (Kenya Coast National Polytechnic) – Nova Scotia Community College in partnership with North Island College, Saskatchewan Polytechnic and Vancouver Community College
• KBEST-05 (Siaya County) – Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
• KBEST-06 (Busia County) – Fanshawe College in partnership with Cégep de Trois-Rivières and Collège Boréal
• KBEST-07 (Kisumu County) – Durham College in partnership with Fanshawe College and Seneca Polytechnic
• KBEST-08 (Homa Bay County) – Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick in partnership with Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe and Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
• KBEST-09 (Kwale County) – Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in partnership with Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe and Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick
• KBEST-10 (Kilifi County) – NorQuest College in partnership with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
• KBEST-11 (Mombasa County) – Dalhousie Agricultural Campus of Dalhousie University in partnership with College of the North Atlantic and North Island College

A Request for Proposals to support national harmonization of Occupational Standards in Aquaculture and Fisheries and in Hospitality and Tourism (KBEST 03 and 04) was launched on November 2^nd with a deadline for submissions of December 14^th, 2023. Selection of the successful Canadian partners will be finalized early in 2024. In April 2024, KBEST will launch the Requests for Proposals for the remaining five KBEST partnerships.

Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE)

There were four graduating cohorts from SAGE programs in the last months of 2023. Jamaica saw the first graduates of the Climate Smart Agriculture associate degree program at Moneague College and a large graduating class (47) from the Ebony Park Agrofood processing preparation program. Graduations also took place in Granada for apprentices in construction trades and in Dominica at CALLS for the preparation program in furniture making. New cohorts in the associate degree programs commenced in the fall: Climate Smart Agriculture in Belize, St. Lucia & Jamaica; Sustainable Construction in Dominica; Renewable Energy in Guyana; and Coastal Management in Grenada. In the preparation programs, new cohorts also commenced in Agrofood Processing in Belize, St. Lucia & Jamaica; Furniture Making in Dominica; Renewable Energy in Guyana; and Coastal Management in Grenada. Training has commenced in Eco-tourism and Educational Technology for the Caribbean partners.

The apprenticeship pilots are going very well. SAGE is pleased with the progress made in developing a recommended apprenticeship model in the Caribbean. Successful pilots have taken place in the construction industry in Grenada and Dominica. SAGE is working with CABOT (a Canadian company who built a new golf course in St. Lucia) assisting with their apprentices in landscaping and now looking at a request for training and certification for greenskeepers. New pilots will be commencing in the next couple of months: women in trades in Jamaica and culinary arts in Guyana. Discussions are underway about the development of an agriculture apprentice program in Belize.

Canadian partners have been in the Caribbean doing training during the fall:

• Nova Scotia Community College was in Grenada & St. Lucia: to provide trainer sessions and update course modules.
• Niagara College was in Jamaica to offer gender training and to participate in the graduations;
• Algonquin College was in St. Lucia for gender training and to present a large donation by a Canadian company to supply feminine pads to students at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College and the National Skills Development Centre;
• Marine Institute brought Canadian students to Grenada who worked with students from Grenada on the applied research data project;
• Dalhousie University in St. Lucia: consultations, training & applied research;
• College of the North Atlantic & Durham College: training in Guyana.

Two Experiential Learning Opportunities are being planned with 25 leaders from institutions visiting Lethbridge College, College of the Rockies, Selkirk College, Olds College and Red Deer Polytechnic before the annual conference. An indigenous learning opportunity is also being planned which would bring 25 indigenous students to Canada for two weeks.

SAGE has received approval for a no cost extension which will move the program end date until December 2025 with activity completed by June 2025.

Young Africa Works – Kenya: Youth Employability Through TVET (YAWK-TVET)

1,959 in-service trainers have undergone training by the Kenya School of TVET (KSTVET), a significant part of the country’s nationwide roll out of CBET. This achievement has garnered recognition from the Kenyan Government, TVET agencies, and institutions. A cumulative 105 courses having now been launched across 28 partner TVET institutions with a cumulative enrollment of 2,383 (930F/1,453M) students so far.

Ten TVET institutions were successful in a competitive process to receive funding of approximately $70,000 each to establish applied research and innovation hubs and to undertake projects with industry. Additional measures to support gender equality and safeguarding have been implemented including training to the principals of the program’s 25 partner TVET institutions, in partnership with the National Gender Equality Commission (NGEC), resulting in the approval of 15 gender equality policies and 13 sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) policies. The program launched the national NikoSetNaTVET (“I’m set with TVET”) marketing and outreach campaign with the objective of increasing the awareness of young people, parents, and community leaders about CBET as a relevant pathway to dignified and fulfilling work.

EFE Tunisia Al-Najah

The EFE-Tunisia Al-Najah project has reached its final phase. In response to the Tunisian Ministry’s desire to implement Competency-Based Education Training (CBET) throughout its network, Global Affairs Canada has agreed to extend some CBET-related activities. Therefore, by the end of the project in March 2024, we will be carrying out the final stage of revising all ISET programs according to CBET, a generalization of the approach will be carried out among ISET teaching staff and a publication on CBET adapted to the Tunisian reality. Upcoming activities also include the preparation of the project’s capitalization book, which will promote the sustainability of the project’s achievements by “capitalizing” on the results, best practices and lessons learned.

Pacific Alliance – EFE

We invite you to dive into the success story of the Pacific Alliance Education for Employment Program (PA-EFE) that wrapped up in March 2023, by checking its  book and/or website. The impact story of the PA-EFE Program is based on 180 interviews with TVET, government, civil society and industry representatives from Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. The objective was to celebrate the outcomes of the Program and its 16 partnership projects but also to identify best practices, and lessons learned to avoid a loss of information and formulate recommendations for the sustainability of the activities.

CICan Connection Conference 2024

The 2024 CICan Connection Conference, co-hosted by Bow Valley College and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), will be held from April 29 until May 1, 2024 in Calgary, AB, with the theme Growing Talent. Growing talent for a resilient future is a critical part of building a workforce that involves cultivating skills, knowledge, and abilities to adapt and thrive in uncertain times, disruption, and evolving industry needs. The future is unpredictable, and resilience is a key attribute to ensure a graduate’s success in a rapidly changing world.

• On April 27 and 28^th CICan will hold a pre-conference forum: Charting a Path to Net Zero – The role of education in delivering a green transition. The call for proposals has been launched with a deadline of February 11, 2024. For more information about the pre-conference forum, please visit our website.
• On Monday, April 29^th, the first day of the CICan Annual Conference, CICan will hold a Canada–Indo-Pacific Partnership Forum from 9am-12pm, which will bring together international education decision-makers, industry leaders, and practitioners from Canada and the dynamic Indo-Pacific region to examine the challenges and opportunities for collaboration within the technical and professional education and training sector. Anchored in the framework of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, the forum will shine a spotlight on the pivotal role of education in reducing inequalities and empowering marginalized groups, including girls, women, and Indigenous Peoples. Additionally, the forum will explore the sector’s potential to drive the creation of sustainable and green futures. The Forum will feature: donor priorities within the Indo-Pacific region; country-level briefings on key education priorities; fireside chats on redefining institutional partnerships; discussions on key trends such as inclusivity, climate, digitalization, intersection of indigenization and internationalization.

For more information, please contact Milica Njegovan.

2024 CICan Leadership Institute for Leaders in International

This year’s CICan Leadership Institute for leaders in international is taking place in Mont Tremblant, QC from June 16-21, 2024. We’re happy to announce that Wendy Curtis (Fanshawe College), Ajay Patel (Vancouver Community College) and Geoff Wilmshurst (Camosun College) will be part of the core faculty next to CICan’s Vice President International Partnerships, Alain Roy.

This intensive program is designed to enhance the leadership skills of current managers or new directors in international divisions within colleges and institutes. The CICan Leadership Institute offers a unique opportunity to interact with and learn from peers from across the country who face similar challenges. For more information and guidelines on how to register, please visit our website or contact Revy Hoenjet.