Vanier receives more than $803,000 for Global Skills Opportunity projects for international student work/study experiences in Africa

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Vanier College is thrilled to announce that over the next four years, dozens of its students from different programs will gain global skills in Africa, thanks to government funding for Global Skills Opportunity projects. Vanier, one of the few colleges that developed two projects, will receive over $803,000 in grants for student internships, centered on environmental and sustainability issues, and health care, in Namibia and Malawi.

The first project, called “Developing Conservation Competencies in Namibia – the Cheetah Ecosystem (2021-2025)”, will receive $412,800 to support student internships at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia. The second one, entitled “Overcoming Barriers by Crossing Borders: A Partnership with Kamuzu College of Nursing (2021-2025)” will receive $391,000, and is a continuation of the Vanier Nursing Exchange Program in Malawi. In a post Covid-19 world, both projects will begin as virtual mobility exchanges. To facilitate these exchanges, Vanier is currently developing a platform where students and teachers from both countries will meet virtually.

These work/study internship opportunities will unlock students’ endless potential through life-changing global skills and experiences. This offering has been made possible by the Government of Canada’s new Global Skills Opportunity program.

The Namibia project will get off the ground in winter 2022, when the coordinator of the Environmental and Wildlife Management Program goes to Namibia to work out the details of various student internships with the Cheetah Conservation Fund. The Fund’s aim is to increase Cheetah populations worldwide by environmentally and sustainably ensuring their genetic diversity and survival.

Subsequently, in 2022-2023, students from Environmental and Wildlife Management, Animal Health Technology, and the Sustainability Major will attend virtual sessions and preparations before eventually heading to Namibia the following year for 8 weeks to work with the Cheetah Conservation Fund. The GSO grant will help Vanier make international mobility available to more students, including some from programs that do not have internships, and some with financial limitations.

The second project will get going when, Melodie Hicks from the Vanier Nursing program goes to Malawi in spring 2022, to meet with healthcare providers and set up the necessary infrastructure to send nursing students to Malawi in spring 2023 for their final clinical internship.

Global Skills Opportunity is a national outbound student mobility program that is expected to enable more than 16,000 Canadian college and undergraduate-level university students from across the country to acquire the global skills employers want and the Canadian economy needs. A key component of the Government of Canada’s International Education Strategy, Global Skills Opportunity is funded by Employment and Social Development Canada and is administered jointly by Colleges and Institutes Canada and Universities Canada.

While open to all Canadian post-secondary students, the national program targets groups for whom international experiences have traditionally been less accessible — specifically Indigenous students, students from low-income backgrounds and those with disabilities. It also aims to diversify destination countries where Canadian students pursue international learning.

Compared to similar countries, fewer Canadian students – only about 11% of university undergraduates and 3% of college students – participate in work or study abroad experiences during their studies. The new program stands to change that. By empowering post-secondary institutions to implement innovative solutions to barriers to participation, Global Skills Opportunity will expand the horizons of Canadian students from coast to coast, and improve Canada’s competitiveness on the world stage.

“Global Skills Opportunity is breaking down financial, social and logistical barriers that have prevented too many underrepresented students from participating in global study and work opportunities. Through this ambitious and ground-breaking program, thousands of young Canadians will have transformational experience abroad. Their newfound global perspective and skills will inform the way they live and work for decades to come.” — Paul Davidson, President, Universities Canada

“Study and work abroad programs are invaluable learning experiences that ensure students are culturally literate, resilient, adaptable and ready to succeed in an increasingly globalized world. This is perhaps more important than ever, which is why we are so proud to work with our partners to deliver Global Skills Opportunity. This ground-breaking program will allow more Canadian students to access these opportunities to develop the skills they need to gain a foothold in today’s global marketplace.” — Denise Amyot, President, Colleges and Institutes Canada

For more information: www.GlobalSkillsOpportunity.ca #GlobalSkillsCA At Vanier: Marguerite Corriveau, Vanier College Communications, 514-744-7500, ext. 7596; marguerite.corriveau@vaniercollege.qc.ca