IN-PERSON: Applying Education

Abstract

An aging population and extremely low birth rates complicate Canada’s ability to address current and future skilled labour shortages. As a consequence immigration and the recruitment and retention of international students are increasingly seen as solutions to labor-force management in strategic sectors (StatsCan, 2020a). As international students are “an essential part of the equation for meeting Canada’s labor force…” (Languages Canada (n.d) (para. 2) post-secondary institutions are increasingly forging partnerships with industry and the public sector, often in the form of internships, to create active and experiential learning curricula and knowledge transfer in the “real world” (Templeton et al, 2012). These innovative programs also enable international students to gain much needed Canadian work experience, mentorship and professional networking opportunities to support employment post-graduation. Using a case study approach and mixed methods, the study interrogated the experiences of international students involved in graduate level internships and industry partners at one Western Canadian university through personal interviews, focus groups and surveys (N=100). The main goal of the inquiry was to determine the efficacy of these initiatives in meeting the needs of international students and industry partners at the case institution. The study is informed by the following research questions: What are the experiences of international students in selected graduate internship programs at the case institution? What challenges and opportunities do such programs provide for both students and industry partners? How might these programs be revised to enhance the experience of stakeholders, including? “increasing employment opportunities for students” (Prigge, 2005, p 222).