The Ontario government is lifting a moratorium on public college-private partnerships, a move designed to increase the number of international students in the province, Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano said Tuesday.

Speaking at a media event at St. Lawrence College in Brockville, Romano said the provincial government has designed a new policy for partnerships between publicly-funded colleges and private education providers.

Romano said Ontario’s post-secondary education system is recognized internationally, while at the local level, community colleges are seeking to grow while facing economic challenges.

“We have a brand, a globally recognized brand,” said the minister.

Such partnerships will bring investment to those colleges, allowing for such things as new equipment and infrastructure, he added.

“It’s about investing in our people and their potential,” said Romano.

The move also aims to help community colleges address the skills gap, providing local employers with the skilled workforce they need, he added.

Romano cited figures demonstrating the economic benefits of international students.

Figures dating back to 2014 suggested every single international student brought in $33,500 a year to his or her community, said the minister, while last year international students brought the province $2.7 billion in revenues.

“You’ve seen the benefits at home,” he added.

Ministry officials said the new policy will give colleges more flexibility to meet what they say is a strong demand from international students.

Along with the economic advantage, the influx of international students brings cultural wealth to local colleges and their communities, giving students “access to the world,” said Romano.

St. Lawrence College President and CEO Glenn Vollebregt welcomed the province’s decision.

“This means the world to us at St. Lawrence College,” he said.

Six publicly assisted Ontario colleges (Cambrian, Canadore, Lambton, Northern, St. Clair and St. Lawrence) currently have private partnership agreements for the delivery of programs leading to an Ontario college credential in Canada.

St. Lawrence has two existing partnerships, one with Alpha International Academy in Scarborough, and one with Canadian College in Vancouver.

At the Brockville campus, there are currently just over 100 international students, from such places as India, Mexico, Barbados, Ukraine, the United States and various countries in Asia, or about a tenth of the Brockville student population of about 1,000.

Two years ago, “less than a handful” of the local students were international, said Vollebregt.

The provincial moratorium, put in place during the last term of the previous Liberal government, put a stop to arrangements with private education companies that brought in international students.

“We were in a wind-down mode,” said Vollebregt.

He now hopes to see more international students at SLC, perhaps increasing the Brockville campus population to 1,500 or 2,000 and increasing its “cultural vitality.”

The ministry hopes to see the international student population grow at community colleges outside the Greater Toronto Area, and Vollebregt noted that would benefit Eastern Ontario, since international students at St. Lawrence College “fall in love” with Brockville, Cornwall and Kingston.

“Once they’re here, they stay here,” said Vollebregt.

Ministry officials noted that international students with a credential from an Ontario public college can apply for a work permit for up to three years under the federal Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.

Romano said the new policy takes a “thoughtful and balanced approach” that ensures, among other things, that foreign students have access to housing and equal opportunities on local campuses.

He also stressed the international students will not be filling places that could go to applicants from within Canada; the policy’s goal is to ensure the partnerships bring investment to the local colleges that increases their student populations.

The event concluded with a testimonial by Dawn Yateman, a fourth-year nursing student at St. Lawrence College, about the benefits of community colleges.

“I am proud of who I am, how far I’ve come,” she said.

“My experience has been empowering to me. It has made me believe that nothing is impossible.”

Rzajac@postmedia.com