Special youth edition Foreign students graduate, evacuate

Study: two thirds of international grads quit Canada within six years

By SOUBHIK

By CHAKRABARTI

Workplace discrimination and racial profiling could be the reason international students don’t stay in Canada, according to a recent study.

Conducted by Statistics Canada, the study found that only one-third of international students who studied in Canadian college and university programs remained in the country after graduating.

The study said that difficulty finding jobs in Canada could be the reason international students are leaving and that discrimination from employers and language barriers could be contributing factors impacting student employment.

Third-year math and geography student from India Avjeet Dhaliwal who has experienced discrimination said that if she is unsuccessful finding a career in her chosen field she may leave the country.

“If I’m getting a really good job I wouldn’t have any problem staying in Canada, if not, I’ll go back,” Dhaliwal said.

The study’s co-author, Marc Frenette said that integration and a lack of connections could be a factor hindering the job search.

“They don’t have the same kind of network as people born in Canada might have,” Frenette said.

Khushwant Singh, a second-year international student from India in the Langara computer science program said that it took him three months to find a job in Canada

“It’s quite difficult” Singh said.

According to Frenette, however, trouble finding work may not be the only factor in the trend.

“It’s possible that they aren’t getting a job,” Frenette said. “But it’s also fully possible that they intended to go back to their home country or some other country” .”

While some students may intend on leaving, a 2017 survey conducted by the Canadian Bureau for International Education found that over half of international students surveyed expressed a desire to immigrate to Canada following graduation.

Falcons preview

Checking in with Langara's men's and women's basketball teams as the season starts. P8

Rink scarcity

This week, Voice Radio examines South Vancouver's ice rink shortage. langaravoice.ca