International education training program launched in Sask.

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) is partnering with the Ministry of Advanced Education to deliver an International Education Practitioner Program in Saskatchewan, the first of its kind in Canada.

The Government of Saskatchewan launched the program Monday, aiming to deliver international education training to the post-secondary education sector, which is part of the new International Education Strategy.

“This program builds capacity within the sector to host international students and helps meet commitments in Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan by positioning the province as a study destination of choice,” Advanced Education Minister Gene Makowsky said.

The 19 institutions across the province will be able to come together and learn best practices from each other and the CBIE.

“We want to have a good experience for our international students so they can, first of all, have a good experience and get a degree and hopefully stay here, but also tell their friends and their family about that great experience,” said Makowsky.

The idea is to build a pool of professionals that can be transferrable from one institution to the next allowing for a consistent approach in services for international students.

“When a student from any corner of the planet thinks about Saskatchewan they think an approach that is seamless,” said Livia Castellanos, the executive lead of International and Jurisdictional Initiatives for the ministry of advanced education. “It doesn’t matter if you are in Regina, in Saskatoon, in Yorkton, in Fort Qu’Appelle, from rural to urban that is the goal,” Castellanos added.

This training program, which includes three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced, includes information on student recruitment and admission practices, international student services and supports; international relations and partnership development practices; and international student mobility specific to Saskatchewan.

“The international education sector is a critical contributor to provincial growth strategies across the country and we applaud the Government of Saskatchewan's vision to standardize and further professionalize this important sector," CBIE President and CEO Larissa Bezo said.

Bezo said training will also cover being culturally sensitive including how you engage students, choice of language, use of colours, and building people-to-people ties.

“A Ukrainian student fleeing war has certain challenges and contexts, a student perhaps coming from a small village in India with a family who’s never had a post-secondary education might be coming with a very different skill set,” Bezo said.

Students, regardless of where they are in Saskatchewan, will benefit from receiving the same experience and level of support.

“The program will help build capacity, make progress toward international education goals in Saskatchewan, and play a key role in contributing to our collective competitiveness and responsiveness in a changing International Education environment,” University of Saskatchewan Acting Director of Strategic Enrolment Management Pirita Mattola said.

It is anticipated that by March, 2023, 78 people will complete the program.