Students Africa bound
Invaluable life and job experience is included in a variety of internships available to college graduates.
Fanshawe College's International Department in correspondence with a project undertaken by the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES) and with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) are offering seven international internships in Africa to young graduates who are underemployed or unemployed.
Gregg Erauw, International Project Specialist in the College's International Department, who participated in a similar type of internship in Macedonia prior to being hired by the College, said the experience the individuals will receive is paramount in forwarding their careers and essential life experience as well.
“The individuals will really immerse themselves in the host countries culture,” Erauw said. “You learn to appreciate their standpoint and realize that we take a lot of things for granted here (in Canada). You learn to be able to do more with less and you learn a lot about yourself, to be more patient and diplomatic.”
The seven internships are to take place in Cameroon, Namibia, Kenya, two in South Africa, and two in Ghana. The areas of study that directly relate to the internships include early childhood education, environmental technology, business administration, travel and tourism, human services, accounting, financial planning, and health sciences.
Erauw said the internship placement hosts are active in a wide range of issues related to international development.
“The students will be involved with organizations concerned with health, private sector development, good governance, environmental sustainability and basic education,” Erauw said.
To be eligible for the internships the individual must be a college or university graduate and not be enrolling in an educational program come September 2007, be unemployed or underemployed (not working in a career related field), between 19 and 30 years of age, have no previous paid career-related international experience, as well as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident able to work in Canada.
The internships are available to individual's nation-wide, not just Fanshawe students, and interested people must complete and submit an application form to the International Department by Friday, May 11.
Once accepted for the internships, the chosen applicant will have a one-month pre-departure period where they research their host country, learn cross-culture communication training and health and safety. The internships then last for six months abroad in the host country, with the final month back in Canada to review the experience and conduct a job search.
A stipend is provided in order to cover the costs of living, and according to Erauw the approximately $11,000 that is given is more then enough.
Another initiative by the International Department consists of sending two teams of two to four students abroad in order to produce a short documentary film regarding various international issues.
More information can be found at www.fanshawec.ca/international or by contacting Erauw at gerauw@fanshawec.ca.
Fanshawe College's International Department in correspondence with a project undertaken by the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES) and with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) are offering seven international internships in Africa to young graduates who are underemployed or unemployed.
Gregg Erauw, International Project Specialist in the College's International Department, who participated in a similar type of internship in Macedonia prior to being hired by the College, said the experience the individuals will receive is paramount in forwarding their careers and essential life experience as well.
“The individuals will really immerse themselves in the host countries culture,” Erauw said. “You learn to appreciate their standpoint and realize that we take a lot of things for granted here (in Canada). You learn to be able to do more with less and you learn a lot about yourself, to be more patient and diplomatic.”
The seven internships are to take place in Cameroon, Namibia, Kenya, two in South Africa, and two in Ghana. The areas of study that directly relate to the internships include early childhood education, environmental technology, business administration, travel and tourism, human services, accounting, financial planning, and health sciences.
Erauw said the internship placement hosts are active in a wide range of issues related to international development.
“The students will be involved with organizations concerned with health, private sector development, good governance, environmental sustainability and basic education,” Erauw said.
To be eligible for the internships the individual must be a college or university graduate and not be enrolling in an educational program come September 2007, be unemployed or underemployed (not working in a career related field), between 19 and 30 years of age, have no previous paid career-related international experience, as well as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident able to work in Canada.
The internships are available to individual's nation-wide, not just Fanshawe students, and interested people must complete and submit an application form to the International Department by Friday, May 11.
Once accepted for the internships, the chosen applicant will have a one-month pre-departure period where they research their host country, learn cross-culture communication training and health and safety. The internships then last for six months abroad in the host country, with the final month back in Canada to review the experience and conduct a job search.
A stipend is provided in order to cover the costs of living, and according to Erauw the approximately $11,000 that is given is more then enough.
Another initiative by the International Department consists of sending two teams of two to four students abroad in order to produce a short documentary film regarding various international issues.
More information can be found at www.fanshawec.ca/international or by contacting Erauw at gerauw@fanshawec.ca.
