A program that helps international students to stay and work in Nova Scotia will be adopted by the three other Atlantic provinces as they try to grow their population.
Federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen says ‘Study and Stay’ will act as a compliment to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project announced in 2016.
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In Nova Scotia, Study and Stay offers support and services to 50 international students during their final year of post-secondary studies.
The program includes career mentoring and access to employment-related events and workshops, and there is also a subsidy to help local employers offset the cost of hiring students for a work-term after they graduate.
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Prince Edward Island Premier Wade MacLauchlan says it’s essential for all the Atlantic provinces to focus on measures that will grow the population, which will in turn help the economy to grow.
The measure was announced following a meeting of federal and provincial officials on the Atlantic Growth Strategy held in Moncton, N.B.