The Head of ILAC’s public relations and its Canada Partnership Forum conference, Bogie Lapinski Anaya, told The PIE News about numerous initiatives, some already undertaken and others yet to land, following the difficult news about the student PAL allocations.
Canada’s student cap means that schools are given a certain number of Provincial Attestation Letters – and in a move that shocked much of the sector, public institutions were given over 90% of the allocations in Ontario.
Other provinces were more forgiving, but the numbers would still be down on what they had been prior to a cap being in place.
ILAC Kiss, ILAC’s online language school offering, made two changes in February and March 2024. In February, it launched a strategy to “develop new partnerships around the world” to offer more pathway opportunities for students, and began offering part-time class in March to “allow students more flexibility in balancing” their time.
More pathway schools were also introduced, including some schools outside of Canada in the US and Europe. The move also echoes decisions made by some language agents – one Korean agency began sending students to New York schools, and then on to Canada for another period, to avoid the need for student visas in the country altogether.
ILAC KISS also saw more expansion later in the year in June, launching a long-demanded German offshoot for those wishing to learn the language and obtain the profiency needed for both HE and jobs with skills shortages in the country.
“Over the years we have received many requests to expand the KISS platform to other languages and decided to start with German,” said John DeFranco, CEO of ILAC Education Group.
“Germany is quickly becoming a top destination for international students to work and study,” he noted.
An international high school is an ideal extension for us
Bogie Lapinski Anaya, ILAC
But for ILAC, the biggest pivot will come in the launch of an international high school – to which the cap will not apply, as it only concerns students in undergraduate higher education.
“An international high school is an ideal extension for us at ILAC as we leverage our exceptional academic and student services experiences to create a unique high school environment for international students,” Lapinski Anaya told The PIE.
An ILAC Centre for Entertainment Arts is also expected in 2025.
The moves serve as a way for the brand to try and “reinvent itself” in the midst of the cap.
Language schools were affected by the cap due to many having the option for courses lasting over six months, for which students need a visa – something Languages Canada lead Gonzalo Peralta has been lobbying against since the cap’s announcement in February.
The move from ILAC signals that perhaps more change will be on the horizon as other brands attempt to pivot in the same way following such unique difficulties for language schools.
Also pivoting to further assist international students as they consider their options is ApplyBoard – who has launched its own AI chatbot, Abbie, using GPT and OpenAi technology.
With its advanced natural language processing capabilities, Abbie can provide customized guidance based on each student’s unique profile, ensuring they receive the most relevant and accurate advice for their specific educational needs,” ApplyBoard said in the announement of the product.
“Abbie can answer a student’s question in seconds, a process that previously took hours or days, making the program matching and application process faster and easier than ever,” it also noted.
ApplyBoard claims it is the first AI advisor of its kind “made for studying abroad”.
“The development of Abbie is a testament to the incredible role AI will have in transforming the education sector,” said Haitham Amar, head of AI Strategy at ApplyBoard.
