Work Experience Programs
Formal learning in classroom, library, and private study is one (good) thing. However, practical hands-on learning as a fully integrated member of the workforce in a foreign country provides a very different experience, which is often a necessary complement and corrective of purely academic learning.
CollegeCouncil offers three types of work experience programs. Our role in each of these programs is
- to provide training and assistance in finding a job, an internship or a trainee position
- to inform participants comprehensively about life and work in their target countries
- to help provide the correct visa and work permits
- to assist with the necessary logistics such as travel and insurance arrangements through professional partners
- to ensure correct processing of information and communication with the partner organisation abroad
1. Internship / Trainee Programs
This
kind of program provides access to work experience closely related to a
particular field of your vocational or academic education/training. In
many cases, an internship is actually a mandatory or at least strongly
recommended component of the vocational or academic curriculum for
which you may be able to receive credit from your home institution or
company. In all cases, however, the internships (paid or unpaid) will
have to be arranged before departure and often have to be pre-approved
by your school.
Internship programs are available in the following countries:
- USA
- Australia
- New Zealand
- France
2. Work & Travel Programs
These
programs, which are somtimes also called "working holiday maker
programs," provide access to nearly all kinds of employment that can be
found either before or after arrival abroad. Most participants in these
programs work in various seasonal jobs such as fruit picking or waiting
for a few weeks or months only. Frequently, however, these open
employment programs are also used for making valuable connections and
finding a proper internship position for the following year.
Work & Travel programs are available in the following countries:
- USA
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
3. Work & Study Programs / Co-op
These
experiential learning programs are often referred to as "cooperative
education programs" (co-op), combining the benefits of classroom and
practical hands-on learning. Students experience the realities of what
is being studied first-hand through coordinated experiences in the
world of work. The college or university offering the co-op program
typically develops job placements with employers specifically for
students at that institution. Students meet with an adviser to discuss
career goals and the type of experience they are seeking. Together the
student and the adviser select positions that seem appropriate to the
student's needs and current level of expertise.
CollegeCouncil is an official registration center for co-op programs at colleges and universities in the following countries:
- USA
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom
