When the reduced list of eligible Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) programs was released by the Federal Government in November 2024, our College’s budgetary planning was thrown into chaos by the expectation that our International Student enrolment would be further impacted. The College made a series of announcements indicating these changes would require dramatic changes and cuts to address the resulting deficits. Motivated by these announcements, we voted to act at our Fall General Meeting, and the CCFA, along with the Vancouver Community College Faculty Association (VCCFA) & North Island Community College Faculty Association (NICFA), began our lobbying efforts.
These, followed by the Federation of Post Secondary Educators (FPSE), the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), Student Societies, and many others, pointed out this and other biases between how colleges and universities were treated under the new rules. The federal government agreed to take that feedback away and reflect.
On December 17, 2024, the federal government announced Education as a new category of study eligible for PGWP. As you can see below, the range of eligible programs is still narrow but includes more programs offered by colleges and polytechnics. Now International students graduating from those vitally needed programs in our Community Family and Child Studies (CFCS) Department can again access the PGWP program!
New PGWP-Eligible Fields of Study
| CIP code | Field |
| 19.0710 | Developmental services worker |
| 13.1207 | Montessori teacher education |
| 13.1208 | Waldorf/Steiner teacher education |
| 13.1210 | Early childhood education and teaching |
| 13.1501 | Teaching assistants/aides, general |
| 19.0706 | Child development |
| 19.0708 | Child care and support services management |
| 19.0709 | Child care provider/assistant |
| 19.0711 | Early childhood and family studies |
Though modest, this change is a step in the right direction. The CCFA will continue to lobby with our national partners at CAUT and FPSE on this issue, and I encourage those of you meeting with or writing to your MLAs and MPs to emphasize the need for a labour market analysis that is local and provincial vs. a federal approach. A more localized approach will put BC’s post-secondary education system in a much better position to argue for changes to the PGWP program that will reflect the system’s true diversity!
If you haven’t written your letter yet, please do so as soon as possible. We need to keep the pressure on the Provincial government to provide transitional support and adequately fund post-secondary funding so we don’t find ourselves in this situation again and again!
Remember, together, we are stronger!
Lynelle Yutani (she/they)
ac.ytlucafnusomac@tnediserp
President, Camosun College Faculty Association
Lynelle is a queer, leftist rabble-rouser galvanized to guard the rights of union members and is on a crusade to convince you that you get out of your Union what you put into it. Lynelle serves on Presidents Council of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE) and was elected to FPSE Executive as a Member-at-Large. She is on a number of FPSE affiliate committees, including the 2SLGBTQIA+ and Racialized Workers Caucuses for the BC Fed, and is active in the Victoria Labour Congress. Lynelle also serves as V.P. of her Strata Council & oversees a rooftop community garden which partners with Harvest & Share Food Aid Society to grow fresh produce for local foodbanks and community food security programs.
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