International Student Survey Report
Since 2015, Windsor-Essex has seen a substantial increase in international students attending our local institutions of higher learning and using their education as an opportunity to migrate to Canada through the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program and other channels.
The Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership (WE LIP) is interested in better understanding the needs of international students locally. For this report they retained Munro Strategic Perspective and Creative Momentum Consulting to direct two strategies to gain input from both international students and stakeholders in the community – a survey and focus groups.
A total of 298 students took part in the survey, while 15 individuals representing business, education, and social services were involved in focus groups. The purpose of this report is to document the findings from the survey and focus groups, staying faithful to the words and opinions of those who took part.
The report demonstrates that there are opportunities for improvement to make Windsor-Essex a welcoming community for international students. As well, deeper research and investigation is need important to fully understand the scope and nature of what is needed.
International Student Action Plan
International Student Consultation
The Windsor Essex Local Immigration partnership invited International Students living in Windsor-Essex to participate in a small community forum on April 6, 2023 to share input and experiences on living, working, and learning in this community.
During the consultation, the key findings of the International Student Report completed in FY2 were shared and a poll was taken to get an understanding of the experiences of International Students in the community. The international students provided feedback on the survey findings and discussed ways in which the community can better support the International Student population.
This outreach was being led by University of Windsor student Ronnie Haidar, Ph.D. Candidate in Argumentation Studies, and fourth-year University of Windsor student Liam Swain who provided the International Student Consultation report below:
Hiring International Students: What You Need to Know Webinar
On February 14, 2023, WE LIP in collaboration with Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) of Southwestern Ontario and WILL Immploy – A project of WILL Employment Solutions organized the webinar, Hiring International Students: What you Need to Know. Discussion included how employers can access this talent as well as recent changes and trends in immigration, and were joined by a panel of experts who spoke about what employers need to know about hiring and retaining international students in your workplace.
Speakers:
Navjeet Singh – President of Student Representative Council at St. Clair College and member of the International Student Planning Committee
Kristin Sauve – Store Manager, Walmart – Dougall Ave. in Windsor
Sandra Pehilj – International Student Advisor at Western University
Alice Michaud – Associate Director, Talent Development and Career Services at Conestoga College
View the recording below:
