Administered jointly by Colleges and Institutes of Canada and Universities of Canada and launched in late 2021, the focus of the initiative aimed to foster interest in three groups of Canadian students – Indigenous students, students with disabilities and those of a similar background. low income.
Of the more than 1,200 college and university students who have completed or are completing physical or virtual mobility as part of the first cohort, more than half are identified as underrepresented.
“Canada doesn’t actually send many students abroad”
Overall, 55% identified as low-income, while 15% were Indigenous, in addition to another 15% who identified as students with disabilities. The organizers had a target of 65% of participants representing the three focus groups.
Approximately 70% of university attendees identified as underrepresented, organizers noted.
Universities Canada also noted that 78% of program activity is with non-traditional countries – countries other than the UK, US, France or Australia.
June data shows students would go to more than 100 countries through the pilot program. Photo: Universities of Canada
At a recent PIE talk, Universities Canada president Paul Davidson said universities are trying to “blow down” barriers to international experiences.
“Canada doesn’t actually send many students abroad. Internationally, in fact, it is less per capita than the US, the UK and Australia. So part of this initiative is to increase this number,” he explained.
“We want [the GSO] to be a permanent feature of the Canadian higher education landscape, so we’re already talking to the government about how to expand that,” he noted, adding the importance of providing opportunities for Indigenous students, students with disabilities physical education and low-income students. ancestry.
So far, 102 post-secondary institutions have received funding for 124 mobility projects. An estimated 16,000 students are expected to benefit from the program by 2025.
In August, Canadian Aboriginal Business Council president and CEO Tabatha Bull — who is part of the GSO Advisory Group — wrote that, of the more than 1,000 Canadian students who joined GSO programs since June, nearly a fifth self-identified as autochthonous.
The total number of participants has now reached more than 1200 students.
“Indigenous people are creating businesses at nine times the rate of non-Indigenous people and are twice as likely to export or seek to export to other countries,” Bull said. She herself witnessed “the benefits of international experiences first-hand,” following her 12th grade international high school experience in Turku, Finland.
“It makes sense for Canada to support its fastest growing demographic to go global,” added Bull.
“It makes sense for Canada to support its fastest growing demographic to go global”
Similarly, Rick Hansen, founder of the Rick Hansen Foundation, which partners with GSO, recalled earlier this year that Canada “needs to take advantage of all its talent” as it rebuilds after the pandemic.
“With funding from [GSO] program, participating universities and colleges have learned more about the needs of students with disabilities and are addressing barriers to their participation in international opportunities,” he said.
“Imagine what Canada’s bright and motivated post-secondary students with disabilities will achieve when they have equal access to valuable global skills – and how they will inspire others to pull their passports, strengthen their CVs and reach their full potential.”
We have a lot to learn from the indigenous societies around 🌏
owing to @GSO_ECM, Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in Canada are going abroad to learn about indigenous peoples in Belize, Japan, Nepal and more! https://t.co/2Gr86wZGXG#GlobalSkillsCA #Indigenous People’s Day
— Universities Canada | Universities of Canada (@univcan) June 21, 2022
Elizabeth, a mother of two and recent participant in Sault College’s Indigenous Entrepreneur Support International Mobility hybrid program with Universidad Polytechnic Yucatan in Mexico, noted the opportunity it offered to “develop cultural competence and sensitivity.”
“This shows that I am willing to try new experiences and that I have the ability to adapt. Through the experience I can gain valuable skills about multicultural approaches that are used in the field of human services,” she said.
Miray and Jaclyn also recently participated in McMaster University’s Developing Capable Future Leaders in Health and Social Systems Strengthening, including a trip to work at the Caribbean Center for Health Systems Research and Development in Trinidad and Tobago.
“I can’t believe how much I’ve grown professionally and personally,” Miray said. “The memories made will be unforgettable and the skills I gained through the Global Skills Opportunity will last a lifetime.”
The Global Skills Opportunity program is a key component of Canada’s 2019 international education strategy.
