To be eligible for the Young Canadian Leaders for a Sustainable Future program, you must;

• be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant not younger than 19 and not older than 30 years of age;
• hold a recent college or university degree. Graduate-level studies are an asset. All studies must be completed before the placement begins. This program accepts applicants from many disciplines including: international affairs (relations), political science, economics, history, women's studies, public policy, geography, environmental studies, anthropology, sociology, law, languages, computer science, etc.;
• have never participated in an internship funded by the federal government's Youth Employment Strategy (YES) program;
• be unemployed or underemployed. Candidates who have had significant work experience in their field after graduation are not eligible for this program;
• have no paid career-related international work experience;
• have demonstrated commitment to international interests (international study or volunteer work an asset);
• be computer and Internet literate, including word processing, e-mail skills and experience in using the World Wide Web for research and information delivery;
• have excellent oral and written communication skills in English and working knowledge of one or more additional languages is an asset. Some of the placements require fluency in French and Spanish. If a placement is available where the working language is other than English, the intern must demonstrate proficiency in that language;
• hold a current passport;
• be able to live and work in multicultural environments;
• be able to work "virtually" with others through use of information and telecommunications systems;
• be able to use this internship experience as a long-term employment strategy; and
• be flexible and adaptable.

If you have paid career related international work experience, you are not eligible to apply.

Are you ready for an overseas placement?

Do you have the following traits?

• Open mindedness
• Patience
• Emotional stability
• Cultural sensitivity
• Attentiveness
• Flexibility
• Affability
• Independence
• Resourcefulness
• Energy
• Persistence
• Adaptability

A work experience in another country will not be everything you had expected. Before making a decision to work in another country, realize that you will need to be flexible, adaptable and have a good sense of humour. It is important to be open to the changes and challenges that you will face during this journey.