Just one month after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Canada Asia Economic and Culture Association (CAECA), Williams Lake City Council will be considering endorsing a proposal for an international high school, college, and university.
Councillor Scott Nelson and Mayor Walt Cobb co-authored a report on the proposal which they say will provide an opportunity for more placements in Williams Lake.
“We’re very excited,” Nelson told MyCaribooNow Sunday.
“City Council did enter into a memorandum of understanding to try and see if there are a number of different opportunities that we can create and one of the ones that have come out of it has been an initiation to move towards creating an international studies in high school, college, and university that would dovetail with other universities in our community and across the province of British Columbia.”
Nelson adds that the approximate 500,000 international students across Canada represent a 15 billion dollar industry.
“They bring a substantial amount of money to a local community,” he said.
“Just as an example TRU in Kamloops has probably about one of the best reputations of attracting international students. They have in excess of 3,000 students and it’s 200 million dollars to that community so Williams Lake sees education as a mainstay key pillar for economic development in our community.”
As well as the proposal, Council will be considering on Tuesday to direct the City’s Economic Development Officer to work with the CAECA to take the necessary actions to assist in the investment attraction required to establish the independent facility.
“They’ve got some significant capital behind them, they’ve got some great ideas, and we’re working very closely with them on a number of other issues as well,” Nelson said of CAECA.
“They have an attraction and an abundance of students that want to come here already to Williams Lake and it’s us fulfilling the needs of creating this very high school, college, and university to allow them to come to Williams Lake.”
“It’s very good news for Williams Lake.”