SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC
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.