The Drumheller Valley Secondary School has a strong international program. Students from around the globe travel to Drumheller to learn from the Alberta school system and polish their English for post secondary education in North America.
However, this fall the demographics amongst the international students are a little skewed.
Twenty students from South Korea travelled to Drumheller for a three month, non-academic, program to train in the fields of tourism and cosmetology.
“They’re here to learn English and Canadian culture,” said Annette Waiboer, Career Counsellor at the DVSS. “None of them have been to Canada before.”
In December, the students will leave DVSS and work in hotels and salons in town for experience.
Canalta Hotels has offered to help train the tourism students, and salons around town are keen on helping the cosmetology students.
The program is sponsored by the Ministry of Education in South Korea and the DVSS is hoping these are not the last students.
“There’s talk of having 40 students next fall and another 40 the next semester,” said Curtis LaPierre, Principal of the DVSS.
After the work experience is over at the end of December, the students will head home. Although, some have expressed interest in returning to Canada.
“They’ve told me they love Canada, and quite a few have told me they want to work in hotels or salons here,” said Waiboer. “Especially in Drumheller, they find the people are friendly.
“Although they haven’t experienced winter here,” added Waiboer.