Casual Work Experience
This is often branded as a working holiday or paid co-op program – in essence though, it is a paid casual work program, and so that is what we call it.  Under this program, your students are sent to work at a Canadian company in the tourism, hospitality or service sector for a period of between 3 and 12 months.  They are paid, and work full-time or part-time in Metro Vancouver.

Highlights

• Paid minimum wage
• Minimum duration of 3 months
• Available in 4 different work environments
• Full visa support by V.I.
• Eight Week placement process
• Work closely monitored

Jobs
Paid Casual Work jobs are available in 4 distinct work environments – students must be open to at least 2 work environments to be considered for this program:
Supermarkets: These include positions such as deli clerk, cashier, shelf stocker, and produce clerk.  This work environment is highly social and is open to students at every level of English.    
Retail Outlets and Department Stores: In these settings, there is one job on offer – sales clerk.  In order to qualify for this, a student must have excellent English, and be very presentable.  They must have an outgoing personality and an interest in the field.  This is the most restrictive job.  It is not for everyone.
Restaurants and Cafes:  Jobs here include dishwasher, server, line cook, and barista.  Students must have excellent English and be comfortable working nights and weekends. 
Hotels and Resorts: These internships are outside of Metro Vancouver.  They are open to students with significant experience or education in hotel management.  Your students will have the opportunity to work in at least three different departments of a hotel, operate in different functions and gain exposure to each aspect of their field.  Interns will gain exposure to standard hotel policies and procedures, job-related vocabulary and industry contacts.

Placement Process

Visas

The placement process takes 8 weeks to complete.  This process includes the following:

• ‘The Internship Plan'
• Resume preparation
• Interview training
• Arrangement of interviews
• Sitting in through interviews (where possible)

Your students can expect to have their interviews in the 4th, 5th, and 6th weeks of the placement process.  If your student fails their first interview, we will arrange a second, and then a third.  If they fail three interviews, we will meet with you to discuss their chances of success.

All students participating in this program will require a work permit.  In order to qualify for this work permit, the student must be enrolled in full-time studies with you for at least 3 months.  By doing so, your student will qualify for a Co-Op Work Permit (http://www.cic.gc.ca/ENGLISH/study/work-coop.asp).

Some exceptions to the work permit rules are made for students from Europe, Japan, and Chile, who qualify for special ‘Working Holiday’ visas that allow them to work without first undertaking a period of Canadian studies.

V.I. provides you with full visa support, and we can guide you, your marketing staff, and your agents through the application process for your students’ work permits.