Danny Beatty, Manager, International Education and Development

Before coming to Selkirk College, I was an instructor of English as a second/additional language, both inside and outside Canada, for many years. Now, I have the privilege of leading a team that helps recruit and support international students at Selkirk College. Many may wonder how students around the world find and choose Selkirk College, and how the Selkirk International team manages to market our programs worldwide.

In addition to our website, marketing videos and material, and word of mouth, we sometimes travel overseas to attend recruitment fairs or visit the agents and consultants who disseminate information about colleges and universities in Canada and help guide students in their decision to choose Selkirk College.

This January, I returned to India after a four-year absence, travelling from north to south with a three-day stop in Nepal. Fourteen flights later, I returned home with a renewed sense of what students are looking for and their aspirations for study and life in Canada.

In the cities of Kathmandu, Ahmedabad and Kochi (Cochin), we hosted “agent feedback sessions” for 40–50 local consultants to share detailed presentations about Selkirk College—our location, program choice, local industries, campus facilities and more. In addition to these sessions, I visited dozens of individual consultant offices to meet with their counselling and advising staff and with groups of prospective students. During these meetings, it was interesting to note that certain questions are asked at every location.

One of the most frequent questions I hear is, “What job will I get after I complete that program?” and, “Are there many jobs available in that field?” Although we may entertain various motivations for studying, it’s becoming increasingly clear that college diploma programs offering a clear path to a career are very popular with international students. I was thrilled to be able to explain that many Selkirk College programs, including Health Care Assistant, Early Childhood Education, Education Assistant and Community Support Worker, Hospitality, Culinary, Digital Fabrication and Design, Gerontological Nursing and others, were created to meet workforce needs, with many facing a critical shortage of workers.

I am proud to work for a rural community college that stays in touch with industry through our advisory committees and that continues to offer programs driven by workforce demands, both locally and across BC and Canada.