Saskatchewan Polytechnic celebrates international students’ impact during International Education Week
In the third week of November, educators worldwide celebrate the benefits of global
education and exchange, and the value of cultural competencies gained through study
opportunities that reach beyond borders. Celebrated since 2000, International Education Week in Canada takes place November 18-22. This week, Saskatchewan Polytechnic is reflecting
on the positive contributions international students make during their time here and
the benefits we all share when students from afar choose to learn in Canada.
Employers who take on international students for co-operative education placements as part of their Sask Polytech programs frequently share positive feedback
and many choose to hire them once they graduate. “There are many benefits to hiring
employees who come from other countries,” says Donna Lehmann, regional sales manager
for Westland Insurance Group. “Most of the international students we see are here
because they want to work—and they work hard. Determination, professionalism, respect
and work ethic, these are all qualities that make good employees, and we see these
in the international students who have joined our company.”
Rural employers often have success recruiting international graduates for positions
they sometimes have a hard time filling locally. Bourgault Industries in St. Brieux has been nurturing a relationship with Sask Polytech’s Innovative Manufacturing diploma program for this reason. “St. Brieux is 280 km from Regina,” says Kelsey Doepker,
who works in human resources at Bourgault, “and this can make recruitment a challenge.
We’re willing to go the extra mile to support our international hires to gain their
permanent residency and that’s meaningful enough that they are willing to move outside
the bigger urban centres like Regina or Saskatoon. It’s a win-win.”
Lehmann says Westland has faced similar human resource challenges that international
hires have helped solve. “Attracting, hiring and retaining talent is an issue we didn’t
have in the past but have found more challenging in recent years. International students
have been a great source of applicants for us, and we’ve learned that these students
appreciate the opportunity to join our business and grow with us. They’re not just
planning to move on in a few months.”
Alan Jojo, a Business diploma alumnus from India hired by Westland, enjoyed his time working in a small community.
“Westland really helped me to get settled in North Battleford and that meant a lot.
I was willing to move anywhere they needed me. When I graduated, they offered me a
job as an insurance advisor in their Regina Office. I am very happy to continue working
for the company that gave me a co-op placement when I was a student.
Lehmann describes the international students hired by Westland as being a community
within the community—a relationship that gives the business new inroads to qualified
talent: “Our international hires have been huge advocates for Westland, bringing us
other new employees through referral. We have been very pleased at the unexpected
networking that international students provide,” she says.
Some sectors, such as healthcare, have formally worked to recruit international students
to fill an immediate need for qualified workers. The Saskatchewan Health Authority
(SHA) has been working with Sask Polytech to train nurses from the Philippines to
address nursing shortages. The Transition to Registered Nursing in Canada (TRNC) program successfully graduated 228 Filipino nurses in 2024. Chuck Sagmit is one such graduate, now employed in the emergency department
at Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital in Moose Jaw. “Nurses like Chuck come to us
as international students,” says Monica Gretchen, academic chair in the Leslie and
Irene Dubé School of Nursing, “but they leave as essential workers. We are extremely
fortunate to welcome them into our program and then our communities.” TRNC graduates
sign a return in service for three years with the SHA for support received by the
provincial government following their studies.
In other fields, such as early childhood education, international students make up
a significant portion of those seeking training—currently as much as 90 per cent according
to Jennifer Davies, program head for the Early Childhood Education diploma program Prince Albert campus. The demand for childcare across Canada grew significantly
post-pandemic with the introduction of a $10/day government daycare program. “Our
graduates are in demand at early learning centres and day cares across the province,”
says Davies. “They are helping meet the needs of our youngest learners but also the
needs of parents looking for programs and spaces to help care for their children while
they work. This important sector benefits significantly from international students
who come to them through our program.”
Aside from willingness to begin careers here in Canada, international students bring
a diversity of experiences, culture and worldview to Canadian employers. This gives
those who hire them an advantage for several reasons. “We want our workforce to be
representative of the people we serve,” explains Lehmann. “Our international hires
from Sask Polytech allow us to offer services in other languages, and they also help
drive new business to Westland’s branches that we might not otherwise see.”
Davies notes that enrolment in childcare centres, particularly in urban centres, is
increasingly diverse and that early childhood educators with culturally diverse backgrounds
give children access to people who share their language and culture. More early childhood
education students in recent years are also male, adds Davies, and most of these students
have been international. “Male international students are literally breaking barriers
in this sector,” she says. “These students are changing the mindset of many childcare
centre directors in the same way that women in trades have in industry. Male role
models for young children in this setting are an important asset and thanks to international
graduates we’re seeing more of them enter the profession.”
Saskatoon company Team Power Solutions, another strong supporter of students through co-operative education placements,
also champions the advantages that come from a diverse team. Johannes Schauss, business
development, training and continuing education manager with the electrical and automation
solutions company says, “Our international hires bring a fresh, global perspective
and cultural insights that enhance our problem-solving capabilities and strengthen
our approach to new markets. We’re proud to have Sask Polytech international graduates
as part of the Team Power Solutions family. Their contributions have truly elevated
our operations.”
Helping meet workforce needs and bringing diverse perspectives to employers are important
contributions. Many international alumni also go one step further to give back—whether
to the communities they join or the educational institution that welcomed them as
students here in Canada.
Rajesh Chandran, for example, an alumni of the Hospitality and Tourism Management post-graduate certificate, acted as an advisor for Community Affairs with the City of Prince Albert. “I am
passionate about community building and creating inclusive spaces,” he says. Prince
Albert welcomed me as an international student, and it is important to me to give
back to my community.”
Sask Polytech has been proud to welcome alumni to several program advisory committees
(PACs), where they now make a significant contribution to the programs they graduated
from as international students. These committees, made up of eight to 14 appointed
members who advise and provide input on program development and delivery for credit
programs, are essential to ensuring programs stay current and relevant to the needs
of business and industry.
Aleena James, an Environmental Engineering Technology diploma program alumni and current PAC member, has worked with the Saskatchewan Water Security
Agency for more than five years where she now serves as approvals engineer. She values
the opportunity to support the program that enabled her to transition to the Canadian
workforce. “I had a great experience as an international student at Sask Polytech,”
she says. “Giving back in this way allows me to help shape opportunities for future
students and ensure that what they learn will translate to the current, real-world
needs of my profession.”
This past year, Sask Polytech welcomed over 4,000 international students across its
four campuses. Students from 67 countries joined our domestic students in a wide range
of programs and at convocation in June we celebrated the successes of 2,275 international
graduates. Some of these students return to their home countries upon completion of
their programs. Others continue to further their post-secondary education or transition
to the Canadian workforce, joining our communities. We are proud to maintain an international
graduate employment rate of 97 per cent.
To learn more about international education at Sask Polytech, visit our website: International Education.
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