Date: July 11, 2023 1:00 pm – July 11, 2023 2:00 pm EDT

International Experience Canada (IEC) is the Government of Canada’s Working Holiday visa program, which allows Canadians between 18-35 to work and travel for up to two years in any of over 30 partner countries and territories and for youth from these partners to do the same in Canada. If you see Australian youth working the slopes in Whistler, French youth developing video games in Montreal, or Korean youth working retail in Toronto there’s a good chance they are working and traveling on an IEC visa.

This workshop will explore how CGLCC members can leverage IEC to achieve their business and human resource goals. From attracting young international talent through a simplified visa pathway to bolstering retention and training by offering current employees work abroad experiences at an international office or with partners abroad, this session will explore the many ways CGLCC members can use IEC to their advantage. The session will also outline IEC research that has highlighted the unique barriers that 2SLGBTQI+Q2+ youth face to working and traveling abroad and how innovative partnerships can address them.

You should attend this workshop if you are:

• An employer looking for ways to address labour shortages
• An employer looking for innovative ways to retain and up-skill staff
• Someone in the academic sector looking to provide students with international career development opportunities
• A young Canadian looking to learn about how you can go on an international work and travel experience

What you will learn:

• What the International Experience Canada (IEC) program is;
• How IEC has been used by businesses to achieve their goals;
• IEC’s research findings on the unique barriers 2SLGBTQI+Q2+ youth face when planning to work and travel abroad;
• How innovative partnerships can be implemented to address the unique barriers 2SLGBTQI+Q2+ youth encounter and to achieve partner business goals.

Speaker Bio: Colin Lalonde is a Policy Analyst with International Experience Canada. His work focuses on spreading awareness of the Program and its benefits as well as improving engagement with the tourism sector, and 2SLGBTQI+Q2 youth and organizations.

Register now and discover the opportunities!