Work Abroad
Thinking about completing your coop or placement work term in another country?
Passionate about growing professionally in a new country and cultural setting?
You’ve come to the right place!
Passionate about growing professionally in a new country and cultural setting?
You’ve come to the right place!
Available Work Abroad Opportunities
Students are permitted to find their own work abroad opportunity, so long as it can be approved by their Coop Consultant or Placement Officer. For those wanting to apply for an opportunity with one of our established partners abroad, please review the opportunities available below:
University of Florida and Walt Disney World® Resort Academic Exchange The University of Florida’s Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute (EFTI) and Walt Disney …
Have you ever dreamed of applying your education abroad while completing your academically required placement? If so, this opportunity in Thailand may …
Receive up to $10,000 in grant funding!
As part of Canada’s new International Education Strategy, Colleges and Institutes Canada has been selected by the Government of Canada to design and administer a new outbound student mobility pilot program: Global Skills Opportunity (GSO). This investment by the federal government will provide thousands of post-secondary students with the opportunity to study and work overseas, strengthening their global competency and future careers.
Global Skills Opportunity is funded by the Government of Canada through Employment and Social Development Canada and is administered through a unique partnership between Colleges and Institutes Canada, Universities Canada, and Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Funding Eligibility
To qualify for funding associated with work abroad opportunities, students must:
- be actively enrolled in a program at Niagara College
- be in good academic standing
- be considered domestic (Canadian Resident or Permanent Resident status), and
- plan to work abroad in a country that meets eligibility requirements as outlined by CICan
As the funding comes from the Canadian government and they have stated that only domestic students qualify, we unfortunately do not have the ability to extend this offering to international students at this time.
Steps to Success
- Determine if you are eligible for funding by completing the eligibility quiz.
- Consult your Coop Consultant or Placement Officer to determine if a work abroad opportunity will satisfy the requirement for your program, if applicable.
- Research, apply for, and obtain a job offer for a work abroad opportunity, and have it approved by your Coop Consultant or Placement Officer. Don’t want to research your own opportunities? Check out our “Available Work Abroad Opportunities” below for our established partnerships!
- Click the “Apply Now” button to submit your application to BWR.
- Once BWR confirms eligibility, you will receive an email outlining next steps and the potential grant funding amount you qualify for.
Grants FAQ
Global Skills Opportunity Funding - Up to $10,000
Students who are actively enrolled in a program at Niagara College, who are in good academic standing, and are considered domestic (Canadian Resident or Permanent Resident status) qualify for this funding. As the funding comes from the Canadian government and they have stated that only domestic students qualify, we unfortunately do not have the ability to extend this offering to international students at this time.
Yes, there are tasks that must be completed. After registering for your work abroad opportunity, the BWR team will review your application and determine eligibility. Once your eligibility and your work abroad opportunity has been confirmed, the BWR team will communicate with you the list of grant requirements that need to be fulfilled with clear instructions on how to complete each pre-departure, on-location, and post-participation requirements, and will outline due dates. Students will also be required to sign a funding acknowledgement form to confirm their participation in the GSO funding program.
Non-traditional countries as defined by GSO are eligible for funding and will be prioritized. Traditional countries such as the UK, USA, Australia and France may be eligible upon review. The destination country must have an acceptable travel advisory as per the Government of Canada. Destinations of exercise a normal degree of caution will be prioritized, those with exercise a high degree of caution will be considered but a review of the local destination and regional advisories will be assessed by the BWR team prior to approval.
Students will receive a Grant Requirements document after submitting their application for a Work Abroad opportunity with Be World Ready. Those who do not complete the grant requirements as outlined in the Grant Requirements document will not receive funding. If partial or full funding is released prior to completion of the opportunity, and outstanding grant requirements are not completed as stated, students will be charged back the full value of the grant that has been released.
Currently, there are several factors that help us calculate how much of the grant you qualify for. The maximum amount a student who meets eligibility requirements can hope to receive is $10,000. Factors that impact the amount of grant you qualify for include, but are not limited to, whether you’re working in a paid position or an unpaid position; whether you are considered a student with greater financial, or other, need; the duration of your work abroad opportunity.
Once all requirements have been met, students will receive funding released to their student account which they can request to be refunded to their personal bank accounts from the Student Accounts department, so long as there are no outstanding balances in your student account. If there is an outstanding tuition balance in your student account and grant funding is received, the grant amount will cover the cost of any outstanding balance, and any remaining credit can be requested to be released to your personal banking account, if available.
Yes, funding for work abroad opportunities is separate from the funding for International Field Studies, Summer Institutes, and Semester Exchanges, so students can go on one work abroad opportunity, and one IFS or Semester Exchange or Summer Institute during their academic career. Please note that those who have never travelled with Be World Ready on a funded opportunity of any kind will be prioritized in the event that more applications are received than there are grants available.
Yes, all students who are actively enrolled in a program at Niagara College are able to go abroad for their coop or placement opportunity. International students, however, will not receive grant funding as they do not meet eligibility requirements as outlined by CICan’s Global Skills Opportunity project. All international students enrolled at Niagara College and wishing to explore co-op opportunities beyond Canada are encouraged to connect with their International Student Advisor to learn more about potential impacts on their current and future immigration plans before making their final decision.
General FAQ
Yes, you are expected to coordinate your own flight arrangements.
BWR provides mandatory travel insurance for your opportunity abroad and no funding will be provided until all necessary information has been collected to order this on your behalf. Insurance cards will be emailed to you directly from Guard.me. There is no cost to you for this insurance. To learn more about the insurance coverage offered, please review the policy description.
You are responsible for arranging your own accommodations. It is recommended that you speak with your employer to find appropriate housing options. Some employers may offer housing as part of the employment package, others may require you to find housing separately, but they may have recommendations to reliable resources that would be helpful to you.
This depends on the housing situation, visa requirements, and employer expectations. We recommend you discuss this with your Coop Consultant / Advisor, as well as your employer to determine what they feel is appropriate and viable. If it’s determined to be a possibility, you will need to determine visa requirements for anyone planning to travel with you.
BWR will provide you with an outline of where we can support you with your work abroad opportunity, and what you are responsible for. BWR will provide you with training modules to complete that will help you to prepare for your travels. BWR will provide you with support by answering questions on an ongoing basis via email or in-person meetings. Some meetings may involve your Coop Consultant / Advisor, or Placement Office, should it be deemed appropriate and beneficial to the discussion topic.
Be World Ready is unable to tell you what visa you require and how to apply. While Be World Ready is not able to advise or guide you in a heightened level of detail through any particular visa process, you may consider hiring a travel visa service to assist you with the visa application process. Please note that Be World Ready and Niagara College do not endorse any third-party vendors, nor have any influence or control over any outcomes or services rendered. Be World Ready will provide you with supporting documentation, as needed.
Your Coop Consultant is responsible for approving your coop and ensuring you are meeting the requirements of your coop. Be World Ready is not able to provide guidance on coop related matters.
BWR is unable to provide assistance in obtaining other official documentation required by your employer or the visa process, such as police checks.
Yes, all students who are actively enrolled in a program at Niagara College are able to go abroad for their coop or placement opportunity. International students, however, will not receive grant funding as they do not meet eligibility requirements as outlined by CICan’s Global Skills Opportunity project.
The first thing to do is determine if you are eligible based on the criteria noted above in the “who is eligible” question within the Grant FAQ tab. The second thing to do is consult your Coop Consultant or Placement Officer to determine if a work abroad opportunity will satisfy the requirement for your program. The third thing to do would be to research, apply for, and obtain a job offer to a work abroad opportunity, and have it approved by your Coop Consultant or Placement Officer, if applicable. Once you have been approved for a work abroad opportunity by your Coop Consultant or Placement Officer, and you have accepted an offer of employment, you will need to click the “Apply Now” button to submit your application to BWR. Once BWR confirms eligibility, you will receive an email outlining next steps and the potential grant funding amount you qualify for.
