Just months ahead of the next general election, the federal government has announced millions of dollars for a new program to get more Canadian students to study abroad — but details of how applicants are actually able to access those funds are still unclear.
On Thursday, Omar Alghabra, the MP for Mississauga Centre and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade Diversification, announced the new pilot program at St. Clair College in Windsor.
The $95 million four-year program, officially called the Outbound Student Mobility Program, aims to boost the 11 per cent of Canadians that seek greater education in foreign countries.
“It's meant to create opportunities for people who may not otherwise have these opportunities,” said Alghabra.
The figures Alghabra points to are from the Report of the Study Group on Global Education published in November 2017. The report highlights Canada’s low standing compared to France at 33 per cent, Germany at 29 per cent and the U.S. at 16 per cent.
Alghabra says the report shows Canada is lagging behind when it comes to the trade of ideas and experiences.
“When we talk about trade very few people think of education as an important component of that trade,” said Alghabra. “We think it's good for the student, we think it's good for employers and we think it's good for our economy and good for our society.”
Students like Colin Topliffe have benefited from a more worldly education.
After studying mechanical engineering and marketing, Topliffe completed his degree in Ireland before returning to a salaried management role at a Windsor fast food restaurant.
“It's hard to describe other than life-changing,” said Topliffe. “It’s like night and day. I look at everything a little differently. Ireland's known for not having much sun so, I appreciate sunny days a lot more.”
The Trudeau government’s initiative aims to have 11,000 students study in foreign countries through the life of the program.
Despite announcing the program on Thursday, details from the government are scarce.
Alghabra says the program will be geared towards under-represented communities but, wasn't able to outline qualification parameters, application rules or how much financial assistance a student could receive.
“Once you allocate the money needed for that project, the T's can be crossed and the I's can be dotted as we unfold this project but, it was more important for us to identify the funds and the objective of the program,” said Alghabra.
Patti France, the president of St. Clair College, believes international education is of growing interest to domestic students — and new financial backing can only help.
“I don't think education is linear,” said France. “I don't think students just go to school and get one credential. I think St. Clair College is a pathway and things happen in people's lives.”
Alghabra noted the program will help students prepare for the economy of the future as the effects of globalization continue to grow.
The federal government sees the initiative not only as a way of boosting the economy but, as a form of diplomacy as students help strengthen ties with other countries.
