When deciding where to study internationally, future Post-secondary students have a wealth of options available to them, both from the perspective of choosing which country to study in and which institution to attend..
So why should international students heading to Canada choose Calgary?
Calgary is one of Canada’s youngest major cities, brimming with educational, career and lifestyle opportunities. The city has a vibrant tech scene and a growing economy, while offering a low cost of living and being in close proximity to the famous Rocky Mountains.
Calgary is a city where residents speak more than 120 different languages and international students can enjoy an average of 333 sunny days per year, more than any major Canadian city. The city continues to receive international recognition. In 2022, The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Calgary as the third most liveable city in the world, receiving top marks for culture, environment and education.
Located in Calgary, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) welcomes international students from all over the world and aims to play an important role in your success during and after your studies.
Tuition is more affordable at SAIT
From an educational standpoint, Alberta, and Calgary specifically, a city that is home to over 65 different Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs), also offers affordable tuition for international students. DLIs are the educational institutions approved by the Canadian provincial and federal governments to receive international students.
Calgary is one of the most affordable major cities in Canada for international students.
In fact, according to preliminary data from Statistics Canada (StatsCan) for 2022/2023, Alberta has a lower average tuition fee for international students, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, than some other major educational destinations in Canada. The average cost of tuition in Alberta is lower at both levels than in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
At SAIT, tuition and annual fees run to $21,000. This figure is notably lower than many institutions in other major Canadian provinces, with tuition averages ranging from $23,000 to $39,000 more than SAIT.
At the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, International Student Tuition quotas for 2023/24 they range from $44,000 to $58,000 (depending on the program chosen). McGill University in Montreal indicted international bachelor of arts (BA) students $31,500.50 during the 2022/23 school year. International students in the University of Toronto College of Arts and Sciences will pay an average tuition of $60,510 for the Course 2023-24.
This puts SAIT at the more affordable end of all DLIs in Canada’s major provinces.
SAIT offers career support to international students looking to work in Calgary’s diverse economy
One of the biggest reasons why Calgary is a popular choice for international students is its employment prospects.
After completing their education at SAIT, many international students seek a way to remain in Canada and pursue a career and life in this country. Eligible international SAIT graduates can obtain a Canadian Postgraduate Work Permit (PGWP) which allows them to gain additional Canadian work experience for up to three years (the length of the PGWP depends on the length of their program at SAIT). One of the many benefits of a PGWP is the professional work experience that international graduates gain with this work permit that can improve their competitiveness when applying for permanent residence in Canada. This is because Canadian government research shows that education and work experience in Canada supports the economic integration of immigrant candidates.
Calgary has many employment opportunities for international students in a variety of sectors, making the city one of Canada’s most attractive destinations for career-minded international graduate students.
In fact, based on 2022 data, the province has more than 38,000 combined job vacancies in the five occupational categories that Canada has chosen to prioritize in the federal government’s new category-based draws. Most of these job openings are likely to be in Calgary, Alberta’s most populous city.
This means that among some of the most in-demand employment industries across Canada, including healthcare, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), agriculture/agri-food, transportation, and commerce, Calgary has many employment opportunities available to international students. graduating from a post-secondary educational institution.
To help with the process of finding a job after graduation from a post-secondary institution, SAIT offers Free career planning and advancement services to enrolled students.
SAIT’s career planning services include appointments and workshops that help students “[identify] a career that fits [their] interests, abilities, personality, needs, values, and preferred lifestyle.
Note: Career planning appointments are one-on-one sessions that “[include] a standardized assessment of [a student’s] interests, personality, and values, followed by a two-hour meeting with a counselor to interpret the results and plan a course forward.”
On the other hand, career advancement services at SAIT include workshops and assistance to help students relate and connect with potential employers, enhance your resume to better showcase your skills, learn how to perform better in job interviews, polish your profile LinkedIn and get hired.
Calgary is a tech talent magnet with more growth on the way
Calgary is already a very attractive destination for global talent and has even more ambitious plans to support its economic growth. With over 40,000 tech workers in the city, Calgary has enjoyed over 20% job growth in the tech sector between 2017 and 2021. Calgary is developing a large tech cluster that attracts major tech employers like IBM, Mphasis , AWS, Unity and Infosys . Further economic growth is expected. This past summer the Calgary Metropolitan Region Growth Plan went into effect, with a strategy in place to support better services, infrastructure and opportunities in the city.
SAIT invites you to consider moving to Calgary to pursue your educational, career and immigration goals and participate in Calgary’s exciting future.
reference: www.cicnews.com