Canada offers helping hand to Italy's lost youth
ROME – Italy’s lost youth trapped by the peninsula’s depressed labour market are being given a unique chance to broaden their horizons and find temporary employment in Canada.
The initiative, created by International Experience Canada, a dynamic holiday and work centred programme aimed at bringing Italy and Canada closer together, is open to Italian residents between the ages of 18 and 35. Successful applicants will be given a permit to live and work in Canada for a period of six months. The programme, which has been operating since 2007, has had a huge amount of success and currently hands out 1,000 work permits each year, 400 more than last year.
Around 600,000 young Italians – often highly educated – have fled abroad within the last 10 years, now more than ever. Apart from the obvious economic advantages that this initiative offers, International Experience Canada aims to increase the desire common to all young people to experience cultures and societies different from their own and gain new work experiences. At the same time, young Italians are given the opportunity to improve their foreign languages, a vital skill in today’s increasingly globalised economy.
Why Canada? The possibility of travelling 4,000 miles for work experience may seem extreme, but the scheme boasts a variety of advantages. Canada, a country which is as hospitable as it is immense, offers diversity scenically, linguistically and ethnically. Modern cityscapes are complimented by breathtaking natural scenes and Canadian society is renowned for its multiculturalism and bilingual Franco-English culture.
The International Experience Canada scheme (Esperienza Internazionale Canada), is a bilateral agreement between Canada and the Italian government. Accordingly, young Canadians may also take part in the scheme and come to work in Italy by applying to the Italian Embassy in Ottawa.
Young Italians interested in the programme are invited to pose their questions to the Canadian Embassy. Detailed information and an application form are available on the website:
