Opinion: This is not the time to discourage students from choosing public colleges

The federal government recently announced further restrictions on international students. And once again, colleges are taking the hit — framed as the least valuable post-secondary option.

It is a damaging characterization when communities across British Columbia are starved for skilled professionals in all sectors.

B.C.’s colleges prepare graduates for careers building homes, working in hospitals and long-term-care homes, growing businesses and developing new technologies. They have jobs in aviation, education, tourism and municipalities — the list goes on.

We should be encouraging students to choose colleges, not discount them.

Colleges offer all students, including those born in Canada and those who come from abroad, an affordable and accessible pathway to employment. According to the most recent B.C. Student Outcomes Survey, over 90 per cent of college graduates are working, and Statistics Canada published data this year indicates a higher percentage of diploma graduates have jobs when they’re done school (64 per cent) than those with a bachelor’s degree (56 per cent).

Post-secondary education has been for many years delivered by colleges, polytechnics and universities. For just as long, there’s been an assumption about the relative importance of the qualification that can be earned at each. Like rungs on a ladder, colleges are often unfairly perceived to be at the bottom, while polytechnics and universities are each a step higher.

It’s faulty logic, based on outdated assumptions about the programs colleges offer and the perceived prestige of jobs available to college grads.

And yet, Immigration Minister Marc Miller last week made it clear that the federal government would prefer international students choose the more expensive and time-consuming study options at universities if they plan to pursue permanent residency in Canada.