For IMMEDIATE Release

Temporary CIC measure could hurt hundreds of career colleges and cost two thousand jobs

CIC proposed regulations on foreign students could leave career colleges in limbo

OTTAWA – January 3^rd, 2013 – A proposed regulation recently released by Citizenship and Immigration Canada could have a very negative impact on hundreds of career colleges throughout the country.

Career colleges are authorized and regulated by provincial governments.  They provide education and training to over 150,000 students annually and employ over 16,000 people.

However, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, in its proposed regulation, would allow most post-secondary institutions except for career colleges to receive foreign students, despite the fact that career colleges have successfully done so for years.

From internationally-renowned culinary schools to film and video gaming schools, the career college sector attracts thousands of international students to Canada.  In turn, these students spend money locally, which creates jobs and revenues for businesses and the government, enriching our country.

“The government is unable to recognize the absurdity of the decision: on one side it provides funding to career colleges to promote internationally and on the other it stops them from accepting international students,” said Serge Buy, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Career Colleges.

The government could have easily used the lists of institutions recognized and authorized to train students that exist in various provinces or even used its own lists of accredited career colleges for the purposes of EI, student loans and student grants.

The impact of the proposed measure could see hundreds of jobs disappear in the short term, especially in colleges that receive international students now.  It could also see the shelving of plans to create new jobs (over 1,700 based on estimates) and threaten the existence of a number of internationally-renowned career colleges that rely on these students.

Mr. Buy urged the federal government to reconsider its temporary measure and strengthen the immigration program by allowing only those career colleges that are recognized and authorized to train students by provincial governments to accept international students until these governments produce lists of eligible institutions under the proposed regulation.

About NACC

Established in 1896, the National Association of Career Colleges (NACC) is the oldest post-secondary association in Canada, representing almost 500 career colleges across the country.  All NACC members meet the highest regulatory standards, ensuring the best possible education for their students. 

Visit www.nacc.ca for more information.  Follow us on Twitter @NACC_.

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For more information or to schedule an interview with Serge Buy, contact:

 
Serge Buy, CEO

NACC

Tel: (613) 720-1777

Email: sbuy@nacc.ca