Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you for having me here and for giving me the chance to appear before this committee.
First, I want to speak a little bit about the economic impact of Canada's colleges and institutes. According to an analysis by Colleges and Institutes Canada, known as CICan, in 2014-15, the economic impact of colleges and institutes was valued at $190 billion. In 2018, international students contributed $21.6 billion to the country's gross domestic product, or GDP.
According to another impact analysis conducted in the spring on the effects of the pandemic, the losses amount to $3.1 billion in the 2020-21 academic year alone. In 2018, Canada welcomed 572,000 international students, which constitutes an increase of 154% in eight years. If the market were to collapse as a result of the pandemic, Canada would lose $10 billion over the coming academic years. This amounts to a 46.5% drop in revenue, according to CICan data.
According to the latest overview of international activities provided by the Fédération des cégeps, which comprises 44 CEGEPs, there were 167,000 international students in 2019. This is a key issue in terms of the CEGEPs' vitality. Sixty per cent of CEGEP leaders consider international recruitment very important, compared to only 40% in 2014. This interest is even more acute in the regions, outside the major cities, because the major centres already attract immigrants. The regions must step up their efforts to attract this population.
CEGEPs in the regions are particularly active. The visibility and viability of the programs are at stake. CEGEPs must also make up for the shortfall resulting from the declining population. They also play a major role in territorial vitality. They provide a large pool of skilled workers and training for the labour market. CEGEPs are also major employers in the regions.
To recruit students, CEGEPs must deal with many challenges involving the immigration procedures. There's a world of difference between the reality of our students who wish to study abroad and the reality of the students whom we manage to recruit. International students must go through a maze of requirements from the federal government, the provincial government and the department of education. They must apply for a Quebec acceptance certificate, or CAQ, a study permit and an internship permit. They must provide their biometric data—which is very complex—and they must sometimes undergo medical tests.
Students who wish to do their internship in Quebec don't have an easy time. Quite the contrary. In our view, the requirements are disproportionate. The students must first go through all the steps taken by foreign workers—