Suggesting that he does an MBA is perhaps the worst advice we can give him, he would stand a better chance by reapplying with the same program but with a tweaked study plan than a business degree which will have zero correlation with his career and academics so far. An MBA is not a automatic route to a study permit. It has to make sense just like any other study program.
If he has to change his study program and a master's in software or electronics isn't possible, than a program in robotics or AI or something which is hyper specific fits the bill. If there isn't a two year program, then choose back to back year long programs, keeping the PGWP bit in mind.
It's true that the SOP lacks punch on the actual study plan. There are too many generic statements, perhaps because the program itself is a plain SW dev diploma, unlikely to add much value to a professional with more than a decades experience in IT. He would need to borrow elements from the program curriculum and show how he would benefit from that module and why it cannot be done elsewhere. For example, an applicant who has worked in a junior role in finance and enrolled in an MBA which offers a module in venture capital can argue that it would give him a hands on exposure in a very aspirational domain, that too in Canada where he can network with fellow students in an international setting. This will allow him to move up the ladder when he resumes work. This has to be argued by contextualizing the applicants unique situation and not by using generic statements like Canada is a great educational destination etc etc
If he has to change his study program and a master's in software or electronics isn't possible, than a program in robotics or AI or something which is hyper specific fits the bill. If there isn't a two year program, then choose back to back year long programs, keeping the PGWP bit in mind.
It's true that the SOP lacks punch on the actual study plan. There are too many generic statements, perhaps because the program itself is a plain SW dev diploma, unlikely to add much value to a professional with more than a decades experience in IT. He would need to borrow elements from the program curriculum and show how he would benefit from that module and why it cannot be done elsewhere. For example, an applicant who has worked in a junior role in finance and enrolled in an MBA which offers a module in venture capital can argue that it would give him a hands on exposure in a very aspirational domain, that too in Canada where he can network with fellow students in an international setting. This will allow him to move up the ladder when he resumes work. This has to be argued by contextualizing the applicants unique situation and not by using generic statements like Canada is a great educational destination etc etc
