My opinion about the monster of unemployment in Canada
Education is an essential and a fundamental right which is well exercised in Canada and a large number of international students come to Canada for their studies which includes students from India as well. The qualities which make the Canadian nation attractive among others include; education system, cultural diversity, and job prospects. But, there is a hassle which exists under the veneer of this media created dream, which the world is discussing, that is, unemployment that affects students more than anyone else. In this blog, I shall give a deeper analysis of the challenges, the factors that lead to them and possibly the resolutions.
Canadian education attracts Indian students in large numbers as they see the country as an opportunity to get a better future. The most interesting option would be the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) since it enables internationals students to work in Canada up to 3 years after graduating. When the environment is friendly as is the case with Canada, this program generates high expectations.
However there is the flip side of it which is the high tuition fees and cost of living in Canada. Tuition for the international students is comparatively much higher than that of local students and the cost of living especially the accommodation tends to be very expensive especially in the large cities. A lot of Indian students are forced to work while studying so as to have enough pocket money.
The stark reality for any Indian student when he or she is graduating from a Canadian university is that the said student has a degree from a Canadian university, but is unable to get a decent job. This brings social issues, their skills may not find their way into employers’ companies and they end up jobless. This disconnection again between college and job prospects results to frustration among people.
The following factors; increase their troubles -
* Limited Work Opportunities: There are not enough vacancies in the fields these learners have pursued their degrees in or the available jobs do not meet the qualification requirement making learners to uptake jobs related to their degree but in other fields.
* Work Experience Requirements: This is so because many employers require that their employees should have previous working experience in Canada particularly to fresh graduates.
* Cultural and Language Barriers: In the case of the Lewisham FLT participants, although they express English as their first language, cultural differences and accent are barriers to the smooth communication and assimilation.
* Lack of Networking: Most employers rely on networking to fill a given post and since a student may not have many contacts within the country, he or she may not be well connected.
The Potential Solutions that can make things better are: The Potential Solutions that can make things better are:
* Enhanced Career Services: The educational institutions must offer more assistance especially in things such as resume writing, interviewing skills and connection.
* Internship and Co-op Programs: To bring into focus cooperation between universities and businesses may lead to more internship and co-op positions, which might then help learners develop local employment experience.
* Government Support: Perhaps, the Canadian government can create packages that will persuade organizations to consider internationals for the first level jobs.
* Skill Alignment: These courses should be designed to fit standard employment needs as exhibited by the Canadian market consequently producing work force that meets employers’ requirements.
While the dreams of Indian students who go Canada are as high as any, what they are met with is a severe affordability crisis as well as unemployment. Thus, it becomes important for educational institutions, the government and the employers when this issue will continue to emerge and also need to work together to ensure better environment for international graduates. It is only through cooperation that all these students can be able to harness full potential and fit in Canadian society. Of course we do, that is why we always think and hope for a better tomorrow, isn’t it?
– The Author is Mr. Amiteshwar Singh, Head of Operations of 360 College Review
Image Credit – Freepik