ACCC receives $135,000 to market Canadian colleges internationally

The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) is one of 39 associations to share $3 million in funding under the Global Opportunities for Associations (GOA) program. The ACCC will receive $135,000 to allow for its members to lead or participate in foreign missions to promote college education in Canada — the largest amount awarded to eight education-focused associations receiving money this year.

"This allows us to do more marketing of the advantages of the Canadian college system. There's lots of demand for this kind of education so we need to get the word out that Canada's is a great place to study and not just for university graduates," says Paul Brennan, ACCC's VP international partnerships. "Interest in Canada is growing but so is the competition from countries such as the UK, US and China."

GOA replaces the Program for Export Market Development — Associations (PEMD-A) and is in addition to the $10 million over two years earmarked for the marketing of Canadian education in the last federal Budget (R$, April 3/13).

Brenner says the GOA funds will allow ACCC to build on its marketing efforts in several BRIC nations including Brazil, which recently launched its Science Without Borders program to send 101,000 Brazilian students abroad to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Last June, ACCC used GOA funding to launch a Brazilian mission to 20 cities. Brennan says extensive use of social media prior to the trip boosted interest, generating 2,000 applications to study at Canadian colleges in 2014, up from 200 this year.

"That will bring about $120 million into the Canadian economy," says Brennan. "We're helping to train Brazil's next generation of leaders. They will know us and refer to us as they move into jobs."

ACCC is planning a mission to India in November and a Francophone Africa mission for next year. For a list of all GOA recipients, go to www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca.

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