Best practices in supporting international students enrolled in Toronto-area colleges

Citation

(2023).  (PDF file) Best Practices in Supporting International Students enrolled in Toronto-area Colleges (external link) , Intergovernmental Committee for Labour Force Development (ICE) Report.

Executive Summary

Canadian colleges have experienced a major increase in international student enrollments in recent years. The growth in the number of international students is most pronounced in Ontario, which is the only province in Canada where more international students have been enrolling in colleges than universities since the 2018/19 academic year. Colleges in Ontario are, thus, playing increasing roles in shaping education migration pathway, educating future labour force, and shaping internationalization policies and practices in Canada. However, there are growing concerns about the social and economic challenges facing international students and the roles of colleges in addressing these issues and supporting international students. Within this recent context, this study is a timely effort to produce theoretical and empirical insights into the barriers international college students face while transitioning from study to work and temporary to permanent status. The study aims to achieve three objectives: to understand the challenges and needs of international students enrolled in Toronto-area colleges, to learn about the policies and programs of colleges to support international students and to provide recommendations to enhance the service infrastructure for international students.