In this episode of Audio Alumni, we talk to GO International, a Recognized Organization (RO) of International Experience Canada. As an IEC partner, hear how they raise awareness of the program, promote the benefits of international experiences, and equip youth with information to embark on international work and travel experiences successfully.
Host: Before we begin, we would like to recognize that this podcast is hosted from the traditional and unseated territory of the Algonquin Anishnabe. We at C B I E are grateful to have the opportunity to learn work and live on this land. Welcome to Audio Alumni, a podcast that features both Canadian and international voices sharing their lived experiences of going abroad.
These conversations offer insight into the opportunities, the challenges, and the transformational impact that an international experience can bring. In this season, we are talking about working and traveling overseas. You'll hear personal stories from our guests about what inspired their travels, what obstacles they had to overcome, and ultimately how their time abroad shaped their lives.
Today, this podcast. Is brought to you by the Canadian Bureau for International Education or C B I E in partnership with International Experience Canada. C B I E is a national nonprofit association dedicated to supporting the Canadian international education sector in its global engagement through advocacy, capacity building and partnerships.
International Experience Canada or i e c gives Canadian citizens aged 18 to 35, the opportunity to work and travel abroad. I E C provides youth with a path to a work. Work permit or visa to work and explore one of the 30 countries and territories. Taking part in I E C allows youth to gain valuable international work experience while exploring the world and finding inspiration.
My name is Emily Harrington and I am so excited to be your host this season for audio alumni.
I am so excited to get an opportunity to chat with you ladies today. Um, for anyone who may not, you know, go down that internet rabbit hole before they have a chance to listen to this episode, can you give us a brief introduction about who you are and what brought you here today?
Tamsin: Uh, sure. I'll start. So I'm Tamson Claxton and I'm the founder and c e O of Go International.
And Go International is a recognized organization for the, with the I E C International Experience Canada Initiative, which is a department or a program. Um, some people refer to it as an initiative of the Canadian government.
Veronica: So, uh, my name is, uh, Veronica Brava and I'm the manager of, uh, go International.
I'm originally from Czech Republic. Uh, I've already done my working holiday in, in Canada in 2020. And when I came back, uh, to Czech Republic, uh, I was, uh, running a program, uh, for the agency Cze us, uh, uh, which was focused on like working holiday in Canada and work and study in Canada. Uh, so I kind of like used my knowledge, uh, from my, uh, staying in Canada.
And this kind of like led me to come back here, uh, to Vancouver and start working for Go International.
Host: Wonderful. And so you said you were in Canada on your own working holiday for a while, and that inspired you to come back. I think that's fascinating. And to go to the West Coast, were you in the West Coast the entire time?
Uh,
Veronica: yes. I spent few months, uh, in like Calgary, but most of the time I was in Vancouver.
Host: Oh, it's so beautiful out there. Um, so you've both been with Go International for a little while. What is one of your favorite parts about getting to work with so many people traveling all over the world and coming to Canada and having all these incredible experiences?
Tamsin: You know, um, I think it's the changing of lives and the transformation that we see in people when they get to travel abroad. So Go international is both receiving people from overseas that come into Canada for working holiday, uh, program. We also run an international volunteer program in Canada, so, But we, we both receive and we send, so we send Canadians abroad for work experience all over the world and both on the receiving end and on the sending end.
Um, the experience that our participants have is, is the same. It's, it's, it's such a meaningful experience and it's such a la life transforming experience to have this chance to not, not just go on a holiday cuz it's so much more than a holiday. It's really immersing yourself in a foreign country and, and living like a local.
And getting to know the people on a different level than you do when you just pass through on a tour or a family holiday. So I think that's the rewarding part. The most rewarding part.
Veronica: Yeah, well, I think it's a life-changing experience, you know, and I think, uh, if you have the opportunity to go abroad and try, you know, a life for someplace else, uh, without, you know, your family and friends and just be on your own, uh, for a while, I think it's just, uh, rewarding and.
Like, what I like about it the most is that like we give people, uh, like the, the opportunity and we give them like the help at the beginning, but uh, after a while they maybe, you know, come back and they even wanna travel more. You know, they wanna. Um, explore like more countries and they become like really, like experienced and we were the first one who like give them kind of like the chance to, uh, to try something new.
So that would be maybe also the thing.
Host: Oh, that's wonderful. Yes. I've heard a lot about once that travel bug hits that you don't wanna stop. So, Uh, let's walk through that experience as someone that you're helping. So, when someone first comes to your organization saying, I wanna do a work abroad, but I, you know, I wanna go on one of these working holidays, how do you get them started?
How do you help them define where they wanna go? What opportunities are going to suit their needs?
Veronica: So I think it's all about communication, you know, to and about their expectations. Um, so Canada, uh, has, uh, like this youth mobility agreement with over like 30 countries all over the world. So, um, they can choose whether they wanna, you know, for example, go to Australia or New Zealand.
Um, there is a lack of like the language barrier, so it could be like easier for like, Canadians, uh, to go there, or they can even go to Germany, Japan, Korea. Um, so I think it's important to kind of, uh, set kind of like the, the expectation. Like if they have, um, another, a second language and they wanna work on the second language, so maybe they can even go to France and work on their French.
Uh, so that could be like one thing. And it also depends on their, like, work background and what they wanna, you know, do, uh, abroad. Because usually, you know, they, they have like, um, a work permit for 12 months up to like 24 months. So, uh, it's kind of like time limited. Um, so it also, um, you know, like the position kind of like reflects, uh, that.
Host: No, that's wonderful. And yeah, I think what you ladies do is absolutely inspiring because the stories that we've heard so far this season are. About these incredible, like the way that this experience changes their whole life trajectory. And Veronica, I'm sure you can attest to that as well, but to say that you're now living in Canada and you've made this beautiful life here is I'm sure a whole rabbit hole.
We could go down. Um, that's a conversation for another day. So yes, I wanna talk about how you ladies support these people and so, In those early stages of helping someone get set up for these experiences, what are some of the most common questions you get?
Veronica: So like at the beginning? Uh, well, like when we figure it out, you know, like the country, uh, the questions are probably when they're gonna get the visa because it's also a process for a few weeks, uh, sometimes months.
Um, the questions are like, where are they gonna live? You know, like, uh, about the accommodation. Um, About, um, it, it's, it's a lot, you know, because you're changing your whole life. It's not that you go to store to buy something, it's like you're transferring like, like everything. Um, so it's, it's definitely a process for a few months, you know?
So if someone wants to go, um, and move, they, they should. Probably start, um, like three months ahead to kind of figure it out. They also have like a lot of questions about, um, you know, like the, the money, uh, like how much, uh, should they have on their, like bank account to move somewhere. It's also one of like the requirements to, to get the, the working holiday visa because, uh, they have to kind of like prove the, the government that they're mm.
Able to support themself, like, uh, at, at the beginning. Yeah. I think jumping
Tamsin: in, I think one of the questions too that we get right away is, how will I get my job? Because I think for most people, the, the, um, the option to work and travel, it's, it's attractive because of the work part. And, you know, a lot of people can't afford to go abroad, pay for the flight, pay for accommodation, and traveling without also making some money while they're there.
So, of course making, um, making money is gonna be top of mind for everybody and they'll ask us a lot of questions about how will they get a job and, and when, you know, when we're advising people, uh, we also are gonna assess, do, are they the kind of person that's comfortable with waiting a little while and looking for a job and putting in applications?
Or do they want a job before they leave? Because we have both options and we can, we can revise on different programs based on kind of what their appetite is and, and what their comfort level is with. Being involved in the process versus turning it over to somebody else.
Host: I think that piece right there is huge.
The fact that there are, that there is flexibility within the program to, you know, follow various paths, that it's not just cut and dry of, Hey, we've got. You know, agreements with these countries fly away, little birdie, so you know, spread your wings and go. So the fact that you're able to not necessarily hold their hand, but guide them through what can be a very overwhelming process and provide them with options depending on their needs to make this accessible is phenomenal.
So, yes. I just wanna absolutely commend you on that because I don't think there's enough awareness to, like I said, the flexibility that you're able to offer in these supports and that it's not just so cut and dry of, Hey, I'm gonna wake up tomorrow and decide I wanna live in France for a year. No, there's, there's a whole process to go through and that there is a team that can come behind you and.
Guide you to make sure that you're doing it in the most financially feasible way possible. Um, what are some of the most frequent countries you get asked about?
Veronica: Uh, yeah, so I would say it's, uh, it's Australia, New Zealand, but also Japan. Um, yeah. Yeah, that is kind of interesting because you, you have to have some kind of like language skills, uh, to, to go to Japan and to, to find a job, you know?
Uh, but. Uh, I think it's also like a culture thing. They wanna, you know, explore a new country and, uh, yeah, like experience something new, something completely different from what they see here in, in Canada.
Tamsin: And I think there's a, a lot of interest in the Japanese culture right now with young people. And the, the good thing about the program we offer in Japan is we've partnered with a company on the ground there, and they do placements in ski resorts as well as jobs within the bigger cities.
And within the ski resorts, they're, they're pretty relaxed about the language requirement because most of the guests coming. Don't speak Japanese. So they need staff that speak other languages, but they do offer language classes, so that's part of the experience if you want it. You cannot the option to purchase some classes of Japanese and to get, you know, comfortable with conversational level Japanese, uh, while you're there.
So it, you're not just having this international travel experience, you're getting work experience and you're developing another language skill, which is incredible.
Host: That's fantastic. And yeah, I wasn't expecting the Japan, but I think that it makes a lot of sense now that you dive into it because it is so far removed from what someone coming from Canada would no one understand, and to be able to really say that you're immersing yourself in a new experience.
I mean, going a whole world away is really taking a deep dive into that.
Tamsin: I would put UK on the list as well. In terms of top destinations, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and uk. Those are really the top four, but there are so many other options. Um, as Veronica mentioned, there's over 30 countries that Canada has signed bilateral agreements with giving opportunities for Canadians to go work and travel for a minimum of a year, but up to two years in some cases, and three even based on certain conditions being met.
Uh, so those are the top four, but you know, France is up there as well. Germany, Spain, uh, we're working with, with a program in Costa Rica right now, which is a really interesting program. We also have a program in South Korea, and, you know, K-Pop has been popular for more than a little while, and that takes a, a lot of people's, uh, you know, interest that direction.
So yeah, there's, there's a lot of options.
Host: Oh, that's fantastic. I wish I was a little bit younger to go to Costa Rica, but
Tamsin: I think you were young enough. It's up to 35. I dunno, you're young.
Host: Uh, I might be over the age limit. Um, no, that's fantastic that there is so many, so many opportunities to explore so many pieces of the world now as we move away from.
This place where we're in, you know, lockdowns and various stages of pandemic restrictions, how are you seeing all of this come back to life? Like has it been a huge influx or is it slow, or what's the changing dynamic been like?
Tamsin: Well, it's definitely come back, you know, I mean, uh, the borders were closed so Canadians couldn't go during the pandemic.
And then some countries opened their borders faster than others. And Canadians and I would say, you know, young people are usually the first to, to go somewhere, even if it's considered a little risky, and they'll go to places where they seek adventure, right? So, um, so I think people were chomping at the bit to go before the restrictions were lifted, and we've definitely seen the, the demand come back.
Um, and I think. What I've seen, and look, I'm not the frontline. I think Veronica could speak to this better than me, but, um, I think we've seen that, um, people are asking for more information now. I think people are just a little bit more aware of the things they should ask and the questions that they should ask.
And, you know, uh, safety is sort of on everyone's mind at, in some level, maybe on an unconscious level or not on a conscious level. But I think that's driving, uh, the fact that more people are asking questions. Yeah, more questions before they go.
Veronica: Yeah, yeah, they're definitely collecting a lot of information before they, they fly somewhere, because now we've all ex experienced that the borders can close, you know?
Um, so I also like experienced it like here in Canada, and it wasn't, uh, that fun because, uh, yeah, like, uh, then you found out that you cannot just, uh, go back to your country. Um, so I think it's, it's a legit. The that, uh, they're asking a lot of questions and, um, they are like really thinking through, uh, before they go, but, uh, there is still like a lot of interest, uh, to, to go to, to go abroad.
Host: No, that's wonderful and I love to see that there is so much, so much life and so much joy and so much of, you know, That deep desire for exploration coming back after how crazy the last couple years have been. Um, so we've gone through, you know, it takes a couple of months to get yourself organized, make sure your finances, your visa, all of that's in check.
So once people get there, how do you prepare them for. That initial landing and that initial setup of, like you said, you know, if they're still job hunting or apartment hunting or setting up, you know, a cell phone, a bank account, how do you guide them through to prepare for that stage? Mm-hmm.
Veronica: Uh, so for all of our programs, we do have partners, uh, in, in those countries.
So, uh, so we basically, um, Um, as they go international, we provide them with like a pre-departure, you know, guy, like what kind of documents they need to, to land in the country. And once, uh, they're in the country, uh, the partners kind of, uh, to take over and they provide with like orientation about. About working and living in those specific countries.
Um, they kind of give them, uh, the access to like a job select, uh, where they can apply or, uh, they can, uh, schedule like interview if, uh, if they booked like the placement, uh, program, uh, with like the prearranged uh, uh, job. Placement. Um, so I would say it's, it's better to kind of have a, a partner in those countries because as you know, if you go somewhere there is like a time difference.
So sometimes we cannot be on the phone, uh, if there is like eight, you know, 10 hours difference. Um, so, so yes, I would, I would say that the, like the partners, like the clients are still in touch with us. Um, if. You know, something happens, but, uh, mostly like the, the agencies in the countries, uh, are providing with the, with the valuable information
Tamsin: and before they leave, they're getting so much support from us.
So there's a lot of work we do with them before they depart so many calls. Um, as, uh, Veronica mentioned, we have a very detailed guide. To each destination. Our guides are over 80 pages in length, full of really useful information about everything you would need to know about getting your social insurance number, looking for work, finding accommodation, what to do if you get sick.
Uh, so we, we give it to them all before they leave. And then the partners on the ground are, are going to be going through all of that again through their orientation, but they really have very strong job support services, uh, because they're networked to the employer network there and, In many cases, our partner, um, partners on the ground have in-company employment agencies.
So they're very, uh, yeah. So, and as Veronica mentioned, they're also doing, there is an option to get your job arranged before you leave, so you can, for example, we have a pub program in the uk and you can get your job in a UK pub. A very quintessential, you know, British job working in a UK pub. And, and in many cases they come with accommodation cuz these are often pubs in the country, uh, at, at sort of what they call journeyman houses or little inns in the country.
And so you get to live there and work there. And, and, and if you want that option, you play, you can apply for that option. And then everything's arranged for you before you leave. So you know where you're working, how much you're making, what your accommodation is, how it's gonna, how much it's gonna cost, uh, and you can plan accordingly.
Host: Oh, that's fantastic. And that sounds like the perfect setup for a romcom. Yeah. Yeah.
Tamsin: It's like a ho Hallmark
Host: movie or something. Um, no, that's absolutely fantastic. And those guides, I mean, to be able to absorb that much information in your own time and in your own way, Is such a valuable resource that you know, you're not worried about scrambling to make notes in, you know, one phone call or two information sessions that you can take away from all of, you know, these structured meetings and go away and absorb it in your own time as well is absolutely phenomenal and makes it.
Again, another tool to acce make this accessible to people. So I think, yeah, we're just speaking volumes about all of these incredible things that you ladies are doing and your whole team as well. Um, so. On average, how long would you say it takes people to kind of get settled into their new
Tamsin: environment?
You know, I think, again, that depends on whether they're taking the pre-arrival job placement or they're going with, uh, the assisted job placement, which means, you know, hot jobs lists, information on how to do a resume, how to do an interview, um, uh, but but not a job before you arrive. Um, and so. And, and it's getting settled.
I mean, to everyone that, that means a different thing, right? So what does getting settled mean? Does that mean getting a place to live, or does it mean having a network of friends and, you know, feeling like you really belong? And I think that's, again, one of the big advantages of going with a structured program versus going on your own, doing it yourself is.
You do get to integrate quickly with other work and travel makers when you go on a program such as ours because you're immediately getting put together in an orientation on arrival, um, with a whole bunch of other people doing the same thing. And you're meeting, you know, locals through the organization that's hosting you, uh, that will help you really navigate things and learn to live like a local.
So they really speed up the, uh, the settling process, shall we say, and getting settled. Um, you know, but I think. If you want to, you can have a job before you leave or within a week of arriving in all of these countries. It's, it's, it's really a question of how much effort you put in when you get there.
And some people, they just, you know, they just wanna get over the jet lag sightsee for a while, and then they get down to work and looking for a job. But it, it's not always the first priority for everyone.
Host: Yep. I, no, that's fantastic that, like I said, there is so many resources once you get there as well, and to build that network.
Um, what are some tips that you might give someone who is, like you said, trying to build their own network and, you know, expand beyond, expand beyond the experience and really immerse themselves. Like what are some of the tips and tricks that you give them to be prepared to build a new life? Build that social network, build that support system.
Tamsin: No, I think that's, the advice is the same regardless of where you are in the world really. Right? It's, you know, when you leave home and go to, when you leave home and go to university, when you, when you leave university and go to your first job, um, when you change cities or change jobs, it's always a new experience.
And, and the same advice is you've gotta carry your own bag, you've gotta put effort in, um, no one's gonna do it for you. So it's about, you know, Stepping outta your comfort zone and, uh, putting yourself out there. I think that's the biggest piece of advice we, we give people is, you know, is step out of your comfort zone and do something that scares you a little bit.
And that might be introducing yourself to someone new. It might be applying for jobs you don't think you're qualified for. Uh, it might be signing up for an activity you've never done before as, uh, you know, a social or recreational activity. When I was, uh, younger, uh, youth, uh, and I, I worked and traveled in a lot of places.
Um, but one time when I was in Europe, I looked online for Ultimate Frisbee in Europe, and I found out that there was a pickup game every week in Barcelona where I was at the time. And I just showed up, you know, like, hi, I felt like a little. I felt like a little kid on the playground, like, hi, can I play with you?
Um, and they're like, sure, you can play with us. And from that I made a whole bunch of friends that were also living in, in Barcelona. So, you know, it's, it's literally putting yourself out there and just, um, trying things that might scare you a little bit, just a little bit. Yeah,
Veronica: I mean, like, uh, going abroad is, it's just like stepping out of your comfort zone, you know?
So I would just say, just like, be, be kind to yourself because it takes time, you know, be patient, but you're gonna like go there eventually. You're gonna get there. Eventually you're gonna meet, you know, you new friends, you're gonna, you're gonna get to know your colleagues and sometimes it. It takes a while, but I, I would just be, I would just say, just kind of like be patient
Host: about that.
No, and that's all fantastic advice. Um, and I think that really speaks to the fact that once we get into adulthood it is, there's almost like a mental block of. Well, I'm not in a school setting and I'm not, you know, I may not have landed a job yet. And really pushing yourself to say, okay, let's just do a quick Google search and see what sports are out there, or is there a knitting club or whatever.
And re putting yourself back in that school day zone of inter making that introduction, making that cold introduction to build that network. And I think the fact that you're able to offer people that advice and help them surpass that mental hurdle. In order to prepare to build that network is a huge piece.
Um, one of the things that we've heard as a reoccurring theme is preparing your mental health before you go. Because being so far away from everything you know, you know, it does take its toll. There is a bit of a rollercoaster and. It's not always, you know, sunshine and daisies in the middle of a music festival that you really have to, you get busy living life and.
Being able to offer advice that help people, you know, prepare for those mental hurdles and adapt to them is a huge part of the conversation.
Tamsin: Absolutely. You know, and I think everyone needs to expect that at some point they're gonna feel homesick. Yeah. It sometimes happens in week two. Sometimes it's in week eight, you know, it's somewhere in there in the first couple of months.
Uh, all of a sudden it's like the honeymoon is over, the excitement's over, and then you realize, oh, none, nobody here knows me beyond yesterday. And I just wish I was people that understood my humor or it wasn't so hard to speak and make myself understood. And so, yeah, we do prepare people and we talk a lot about that, and it's part of.
All the orientations that we give, and it's in our guidebook, a whole section about how to stay mentally healthy when you're traveling. That's
Host: absolutely amazing. Cause I think that is a huge part of the conversation that we. We can never give enough attention to, cuz whether, I mean, whether you're in an environment that you know very well, or you're in a brand new environment and you've kind of, you know, like I said, spread your wings and flown across the world, that there are gonna be those moments that, like you said, you get homesick, you say, oh my goodness, was this the right decision?
And having tools that can support you through those moments and to see the bigger picture and what lies on the other side of this experience is. The biggest value we can take away from any of this?
Veronica: Yeah, definitely. I mean, we are here, you know, to support them. So if they're feeling like this, they can always reach out to us.
And since, uh, I am, you know, uh, the foreigner living abroad, so I think I, I'm kind of like the example that. Like you can, you can manage it. Um, sometimes I feel like it doesn't really matter if you are in a, in a abroad or in your country. You just feel like this. And, um, and for everybody, um, um, the process to deal with it is, it's a little different, right?
Um, but it, it's definitely, uh, a good to have a conversation about it and just acknowledge that the. It's not all fun and, uh, and rainbows all, all the time. Yeah,
Host: no, that's fantastic. And like I said, I absolutely love that you've got so much in-depth information to help people really make the most of these experiences.
Now, we talked a little bit at the beginning that they can be, you know, one typically one to two year visas. What is the case if someone hits, you know, that one year mark and they say, You know what? I wanna stay, I wanna figure out how to move my life here permanently. What is that process like from your end?
Veronica: Uh, so, so these kind of visa are like only for one up to two years for some countries. Um, so I think it really depends on what country they are in and what are the options over there. Uh, maybe one of the options would be like, uh, go studying, uh, to university or something like that. Um, Probably I know more about how to stay in Canada than how to stay in other countries.
To be honest,
Tamsin: that is, is such a broad question because, um, you need to be an immigration, you know, recognize immigration consultant for each country that we send students to, or young people to, to know what the options are to stay. Uh, I think, you know, I. That's a very personal decision people have and sometimes they stay because they fell in love with the country.
Sometimes they stay because they got a great job. Sometimes they stay cuz they fell in love with the person there. And, uh, and, and depending on what, what's drawing you to stay longer, there's different options to stay right. Employers, employers can in some countries sponsor you to stay on a, on a sponsored work permit.
Um, if you, if you fall in love, you can get married and stay, you know, but every country has different immigration rules. So in Canada, we certainly see that happen a lot for our inbound participants that, uh, you know, they do, they do ex often have a life-changing experience and decide they wanna stay longer.
Maybe not for their whole life, but maybe just a little bit longer, a couple more years. And there are, Canada's very open to that. You know, Canada has very large immigration targets right now, and it has created a lot of very accessible pathways to immigration. Uh, so that's an option. And we do know more about that and we certainly support our, our inbound clients with information and we point them to really, um, well respected and recognized, um, and registered immigration consultants.
Host: That's fantastic. And yeah, just being able to point them in the direction of, okay, well, I. How do I make this happen? And I think, um, being able to give them somewhere reputable that they can go to explore those avenues is huge. Cuz again, especially in Canada, like, we're aware that you have to be, you know, regulated by I R C, immigration, refugee Canada to be able to support people properly and have those conversations.
But as a newcomer, you might not be aware of what those regulations are and who is. A reputable resource to be talking to. So to be able to have you as a middleman that they can say, okay, where do I start? And you can say, okay, you know what? These are three organizations to deal with and they will support you through that process.
Even having that tool at your disposal is huge. Um, I worked with a whole bunch of newcomers to Canada for a lot of years and I. Being able to, as a trusted person that they're working with, being able to point them in the right direction is huge because I think there is so much value to those relationships that you, people that you ladies are dealing with or that, sorry, blah.
I'm getting myself tongue tied. Let's start again. I think there is such an incredible value to those personal relationships that you're building with your clients and that connection. That you're developing as a person they can trust to provide them with, you know, not only good information, but with the right information and with the right tools to get them where they wanna go.
So to say that, you know what, we have a list of people that are registered the right way and that can guide you through that next step is a huge asset because they're gonna trust what you have to say because you've been working with them for so long and. Even to be able to see them take that next step in their journey must be so rewarding for you.
Veronica: Yeah, I mean it definitely is. I mean, if they're satisfied here or in like other country, that's really rewarding and um, it's probably something that we do. Right, right.
Host: No, that's wonderful. I'm so inspired. By what your organization is able to do for not only newcomers in Canada, but also all those people looking to go abroad and work in other countries.
And I mean, I would expect January is a very popular time for you to get, uh, inquiries with the way the weather goes here
Tamsin: and, and people making New Year's resolutions. You know? Yes. Time to take trip. I never thought I.
Host: Now, do you honestly see those seasonal influxes or is it a pretty steady state? You
Tamsin: know, I think, I think there's probably a, a seasonality a little bit as, especially as you say, January, January to the end of the school term for university students is often a time that people are starting to think about, well, what am I gonna do?
Especially if they're about to graduate. But, but this program is open to people up to the age of 35. So people come to us, uh, at different stages in life. Maybe they've been working for a while and are ready to make a change. Maybe they just need to take a break for a little while and, you know, so it is, there isn't a hard and faster rule to when people reach out.
Host: No. Um, the fact that you go. The fact that you define youth so broadly, I mean, not only makes me feel better about my own age, but um, is really neat cuz I think there is often this misconception that in order to participate in some of these programs that you have to be, you know, 25 or under 30 or, you know, That there is, that it's a very limited age range of when you can take advantage of these supports and you know, say you're 30 years old and looking to make a career change, that you can still do that and that you can still take advantage of these supports.
And whether it's looking to come to Canada or leave that there's so many opportunities I think is. An important thing to put emphasis on because like you said, you don't have to be, you know, that 18 year old fresh outta high school that just doesn't wanna go to university. You can be, you know, starting your family and looking to take your family on an adventure with you.
Veronica: Definitely, and I think, um, you know, you can try different countries. You know, when you're 20 you can go to Australia, then in 25 you can go to Germany. If you're 30, you can go to Japan. So it's just like not limited. So that's also nice. Um, and yeah, you can, you can definitely always change a pathway of your life, you know, if.
The work you have here, like, like, doesn't work for you. You can, you can pack your bag and try it, uh, someplace else, right? So, yeah. I, I think it's, it's nice about th this program.
Host: Um, what is one piece of advice you would like to give to someone who is. Think who might be on the fence about taking one of these leaps of faith?
Veronica: Well, I would just, uh, I would just say, you know, simply if you, if you only have like a, a little thought about going somewhere, just do it. If you, if you think about it, just, just do it because you know, you, you are not gonna regret this because even though you're gonna have some bad days, or even don't.
You're gonna be, the time's gonna be challenging for you. Uh, after that, you're gonna really appreciate the time, uh, that you spent somewhere that you, that, that you went abroad. And I think, uh, it's, it's better to do something than regretting that you didn't do it. So I would just say just, just do it. If, if you think about it, just, just go with the
Tamsin: flow.
Yeah. And if it seems overwhelming, it goes back to that classic thing of how do you eat an elephant? You know, one bite at a time. Um, and so it just take the first step. And that could be reaching out to go international, because we're here to support Canadians going abroad. Even if you don't wanna purchase one of our programs, we'll talk to anybody that wants go abroad, because that's our mandate.
To help Canadians work and travel abroad. So it's not just about promoting programs that we offer, it's about providing information and supporting Canadians and making that decision, and then putting their, their sort of life in order to go and getting all the, uh, all the. You know, all their ducks in a row and then checking off all the boxes to make sure they've got their visa, they've got the, you know, their health insurance.
Uh, they, they know what to to pack. They know when to arrive, what time of year is the best time to arrive in a certain country to find work. So we'll support them, whether they come on our program with us or not. But, but reach out, look for help. Um, and we'll make it a lot easier.
Host: No, that's fantastic advice.
I've never heard that saying, uh, how do you eat an elephant before? I will say that I like it. I've never heard it before. So that may become my new saying, and I think it is a perfect, it's such a fitting example for what you're doing because when you're sitting by yourself and you're, you know, down a Google rabbit hole and you're thinking, oh, wouldn't it be cool to live in, you know, in Costa Rica for example.
Um, To say that there is this service available that can help you break it down so that it's not just this overwhelming pipe dream of, oh my goodness, it's not just living on a beach. How the heck would I actually make this work? That you're able to make it into bite-sized pieces is so phenomenal. I know I've said that before, but I am absolutely in awe of the way that your organization is able to.
Not just support the idea, but you're able to give a whole package experience of knowing that there is a network surrounding you when you take on these incredible challenges and opportunities, I wanna say a wholehearted thank you to both of you ladies, Veronica and Timson. It is so incredible to be able to have this conversation and understand a little bit more about what you're able to offer.
I very much look forward to seeing some of the stories and some of the ways that you're able to continue support people on their experiences abroad and coming to Canada.
Tamsin: Thanks so much. Thanks. It's been a a pleasure joining
Veronica: your show. Yeah. Thank you for inviting us.
Host: And that ends this episode of Audio Alumni.
We wanna thank our listeners for joining us today. We also wanna thank our guests for their openness in sharing their stories and our partner International Experience Canada for collaborating with us this season. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast for new episodes and visit us@cbe.ca for more content about international education in Canada.
Until next time