New Brunswick in Canada launches retention programme for international students

New Brunswick in Canada has launched its $1 million retention programme for international students, complete with resource and support provisions. 

The initiative will last three years and will expand on the previous Study and Stay pilot programme.  

The Study and Succeed programme aims to “increase the availability of skilled labour” by retaining international students after graduation, despite a nationwide.

More details on this: The announcement also stated that the program will offer access to resources, support and connections “needed to launch a successful career and fulfilling life” in New Brunswick province. The move comes after what was a more successful uptick in enrolments than expected in Atlantic Canada, announced in November 2022. 

•  “Not only are international students a critical component of our talent pipeline, but they also contribute immensely to making our province more diverse and inclusive,” according to Arlene Dunn, minister for Opportunities NB, the provincial government’s growth accelerator. She also mentioned that growing New Brunswick’s initial “population base” would be essential to addressing workforce needs and access is “crucial for NB companies of every size.”

Funding for the project comes from both Opportunities NB and the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation programme run by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Each of the organisations is investing around $500,000. 

• The city’s MP Jenica Atwin said the government was proud to support projects like Study and Succeed. This is because “they provide international graduate students with the tools, training, and professional contacts they need to stay in New Brunswick.  
• “By creating the right networks and opportunities, we are fostering inclusion and strengthening our vibrant, diverse communities,” she added.  

About the Study and Stay programme: The three-year initiative builds on the previous Study and Stay pilot programme, which ran in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island and was deemed a success when it concluded in 2021.  

The Study and Succeed program, which is unique to New Brunswick, is expected to accept nine cohorts of 100 international students by its final year in 2026.