Basil Rehan
Biz/Tech Reporter

Economic uncertainty and increasing efforts to brand Canada as a post-secondary study destination may be contributing to a growing number of international students coming from Europe.

“We’re starting to see a steady increase in European enrollments, but the reason why is speculative at this time,” said Tania Spoljaric-Sherwood, Humber manager of international recruitment and market development for the Middle East, Europe and South and Central Asia.

Since 2007, Humber has experienced a 150 per cent increase in the amount of students enrolling from European countries, according to registrar data.

Humber has been more active in reaching out to European students in recent years by sending staff to more fairs and exhibits on the continent, said Spoljaric-Sherwood.

Students have a wide range of motives for choosing to study in Canada, but generally they are most concerned about connectivity between the program and employment opportunities after graduation, she said.

“I think there are a lot of incentive options in place that both the province and federal government have implemented that provide great incentives and motives for students to come and study here,” said Spoljaric-Sherwood.

Incentives include a one-to three-year work permit granted upon graduation, transitional services to assist students to adjust to life in Canada and increased opportunity for citizenship and immigration.

“Studying in Canada is cheaper than back home and I think I’ll probably have better job opportunities here when I’ve graduated,” said Zachary Cave, 21, an international student from Britain at the University of Toronto.

Between 1998 and 2008, the number of international students in Canada from Europe fell by nearly eight per cent according to Statistics Canada. Ontario experienced a comparable decrease in numbers over the same period. But since then the number of European students studying in Ontario has increased from seven per cent in 2008 to eight per cent in 2010 and 2011.

Tanya Blazina, team leader of media relations at the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities said while it is too early to measure the impacts of the European debt crisis on international enrolment, European countries have been included in Ontario’s international marketing strategy.