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| There is a growing International flavour to campus life in Prince Rupert as the International student program continues to find success at Coast Mountain College |
The launch of an International student program at Coast Mountain College appears to have been a successful one, with growing numbers of newcomers arriving at campus locations across the region over the last few years.
The increasing registration numbers serving as an indication that the Northwest is making for a welcome destination for students beyond the borders of Canada.
The impact on the local scene can be seen at the Prince Rupert campus where the International students have been taking classes in growing numbers over the last few years; the majority of them focused on the Business program that is offered in the city, as well as at similar programs in Terrace and Smithers.
Sarah Zimmerman, the Executive Director of Communications for Coast Mountain College provided a glimpse into the numbers for the International Student program which has 315 students registered for the winter semester at all campuses for Coast Mountain College.
For the Prince Rupert Campus, 51 new international students have arrived this year at the local campus, those numbers from a total number of 111 International students that are taking their courses in the city.
That makes for a significant increase for the student population in Prince Rupert which as of January had 231 students both International and Domestic registered on campus.
In an email correspondence with the North Coast Review, Ms. Zimmerman noted that Coast Mountain College does not anticipate that those numbers will change much in the upcoming years, though she did add that the level of participants in the International cohort will evolve as the programs start and finish.
Such has been the interest in the Prince Rupert campus and the program offered here, that the college is looking to fill a vacant international student advisor position for the local campus, with recruitment for that position currently underway.
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| Coast Mountain College's January convocation at the Smithers campus celebrated the successof Domestic and International students |
The Smithers campus has also found success through the International program and at the recent convocation celebration in Smithers this month, the contribution of the International students to both the college and the community, was commented on often by a range of officials that were in attendance.
Prince Rupert will get an opportunity to learn more of the success for the locally based International students this Spring, which is when the campus hosts their own convocation and those students set to complete their studies take part in the farewell to college life in the city.
Beyond the benefits that the International program is providing to the college, there has also been a spin off benefit for the city, with a number of the students starting to make their way into the local work force, many of them taking up positions in the retail and service sector.
Those are two areas of business that recently been noted for their struggles in finding staff owing to the lure of Port related jobs that are scooping up employees at a fairly quick pace.
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With a number of regulations in place related to the employment options for International students, the part time nature of many of those service and retail positions is making for a good fit for both employer and student.
As well, the opportunity to access job opportunities serves as another welcoming introduction for the newcomers to the community and one that should be beneficial to all.
Later today, those attending the Thursday Rotary Club noon hour luncheon will get a snapshot of what's happening at the Prince Rupert campus as Ms. Zimmerman provides an update on college developments for the Rotarians, appearing at today's event as their guest speaker.
You can learn more about Coast Mountain College and the programs offered in Prince Rupert from their website here.
For those looking to explore some background on the International program, the college provides a glimpse into the Coast Mountain experience here.
For more notes related to education in the Northwest see our archive page here.
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