A bridge so close: international students crossing the employment divide

By Denise Deveau. Hamid Omran knows all about building bridges. A PhD candidate at the University of Calgary, Iranian-born Omran is also working 20 hours a week at Stantec - a professional consulting services firm - as a structural engineer specializing in pedestrian bridge design.
"My plan is when I get my degree is to get my three-year work permit and apply for residency here," he says.
Omran is one of many international students employers are recruiting to address skills shortages. In fact, when Omran was looking for a job to support his studies, he received multiple offers. He decided Stantec had what he was looking for in a career. "The projects are pretty cool compared to what I have done over in Iran." More...