To The Editor,
Re: Chinese recruitment not benefiting coast: Mayor, June 20, 2013.
I think Barbie Mayor is quite correct in her analysis of the need to look at other markets for successfully recruiting foreign students, but each market has its own nuances.
I recently moved here from downtown Vancouver and have several friends who work as consultants in recruitment, translation and internship placement for foreign students. They tell me that it is extremely difficult to place Chinese students outside of the Lower Mainland.
As Mayor states, Germany is a better prospect for the coast as Germans have a greater affinity for the ”wilderness” experience.
Unlike many of the Chinese students, though, most German students have well developed English skills and there is greater interest in work/study placements with post-secondary institutions and employers.
A joint project between Vancouver Island University (VIU) and local chambers of commerce might be a better focus for the West Coast.
As well, Brazil has become a very large—and largely overlooked—market for expatriate students but is often overlooked because of a lack of awareness of the growing affluence of Brazilian families.
John Weir,
Port Alberni