The recent announcement from Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller regarding the cap of international students in the 2024 caught many by surprise, including the two local post-secondary institutions located right here in the Kawarthas.
Fleming College President Maureen Adamson didn’t hide her disappointment while speaking to the Chamber of Commerce shortly after the announcement.
“This will have a sweeping impact on our region,” stated Adamson, adding this will be a loss of $100 million to Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
The Canadian government declared a two-year cap on student permits to international students in 2024; only approving 360,000 in total – a decrease of 35 per cent from 2023.
This move, he said, is an attempt to ease the strain on the housing crisis in Canada and to weed out what he calls, ‘bad actors’ applying for spots in our Colleges and Universities.
Adamson is expecting a 50 per cent drop in international student enrolment for Fleming, and she stated it will be “a staggering loss” to Peterborough, Lindsay and Haliburton.
Currently, approximately 1,000 international students are enrolled at Fleming College across their Peterborough, Lindsay and Haliburton campuses. And approximately 4,000 students are enrolled at their campus in Toronto.
And many of those students, she adds, are filling in the gaps in Ontario’s labour market. Sectors like, health care, social assistance, hospitality, and the trades sector will all be affected by this cap.
“International students that come to Ontario are essential to bringing in top talent for key sectors of the workforce, here in our area and across the province. They usually come with a diploma or degree and are ready to move quickly into the labour market,” stated Adamson in a statement.
The Council of Ontario Universities also released a statement, stating they are ‘disappointed’ with the cap on international student permits. They added in their statement that this decision, “it may have unintended consequences for the sector and for international students.”
Ontario Colleges and Universities have yet to hear how the 2024 permits will be divided among the provinces by the Ontario Government.
Trent University sent the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber a comment; stating that with all the information they have currently:
“Trent University is currently reviewing the Government of Canada’s announcement regarding international student permits, and supports the position taken by the Council of Ontario Universities. Trent has been a responsible player in the postsecondary sector, preparing for growth in domestic and international enrolment for some time, and basing international student enrolment on the unique needs of our communities and regional labour market demands. The international students who come to Trent bring enormous advantages to our campuses and beyond, introducing highly-skilled, worldly talent, and bridging cultures in ways that benefit our local economies and our communities as a whole. We take a measured and sustainable approach to international enrolment and none of Trent’s degrees, certificates or programs operate through public-private partnerships. Currently, there are 2,799 international students enrolled at Trent (20 per cent of total enrolment).”
The university assures they will release updates when more information becomes available to them.
