IAESTE International Association for Exchange of Students for

IAESTE International Association for Exchange of Students for Technical Experience

Membership 4 Over 90 countries Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New. Zealand, Spain, Sweden, U. K. , U. S. A

Eligibility Canadian students who are currently in full time attendance at a university or college in Canada studying engineering, technical sciences or technologies such as agriculture and forestry, can be placed abroad through IAESTE Canada.

Eligibility (contd. ) • Candidates must be 19 -35 years old • Most jobs are for undergraduates who have completed three-quarters of their degree program. • Students must be residing in Canada during the placement process and preference will be given to candidates who have not previously been placed through the program.

Where are the placements? • Placement may be arranged in any of the other member countries but there are very few places available in the developing countries. • On the registration form a student indicates a preference for at least three countries. • Descriptions of the positions secured at the Exchange Conference will be circulated to all applicants early in February, usually by e-mail.

Duration of the placements • The employment period on most IAESTE positions is 812 weeks in the summer months • Openings are available for students in co-operative programs for the Fall work term. • Some long-term positions (up to 52 weeks) each year, mostly from the Scandinavian countries.

Job Assignments • Each IAESTE Committee secures offers from industrial, academic and other organizations to receive foreign students for temporary work. • These offers are exchanged with other member countries on a reciprocal basis at the Exchange Conference late in January. • Early in February, a list of the positions Canada received is circulated to all applicants (by e-mail) for consideration.

Job Assignments (contd. ) • Candidates are asked to return an application up-date form ranking those places of interest for which they meet all the requirements. • The Canadian IAESTE Committee will screen the applicants and the most qualified candidate will be offered the position. Once a candidate accepts an offer, their file is forwarded to the employer.

Language Requirements • English is the official language of the IAESTE Association and you will receive all written material in English. • Some employers do ask for a working knowledge of the language spoken in their country and the application form indicates the countries that often have such requests.

Salary and Lodgings • Student salaries in foreign countries are usually considerably lower than in Canada, but are sufficient to cover the costs of food and lodging during the period of employment. • Salaries paid are not sufficient to cover transportation and insurance costs. In 2005, salaries averaged approximately $1200. per month.

Salary and Lodgings (contd. ) • Any offer of employment you receive will include the salary paid an estimate of the total cost of living per month in that country. The receiving IAESTE Committee or the employer usually arranges affordable, student-type accommodations for the work term.

Travel Costs Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements and costs and of obtaining their passport and visas or work permits if required. Most receiving IAESTE Committees arrange to have any necessary permits issued through their Embassy in Canada. Many foreign embassies charge a processing fee. IAESTE students must arrange and pay the premiums for full out-of-the-country medical insurance.

Application Fee • An application fee of $325. is charged to each student wishing to participate. • Of this amount, $225 is refunded if a student is not offered a position he/she wishes to accept, provided all deadlines have been met. • This fee must be sent with the application package, payable to IAESTE Canada. • It must be paid in cash, certified cheque or money order. Cash should not be sent through the mail. No personal cheques or credit cards can be accepted.

Application Fee (contd. ) • You can request the rebate portion of your application fee at any time. • Candidates who withdraw from the program after accepting an offer of employment will forfeit the entire fee.

Deadline for Summer 2006 • All applications must be received in the IAESTE office by December 9, 2005. • All Co-op students must have their complete packages with the Science Co-op office by Monday, December 05, 2005. (courier delivery)

Application Checklist • One copy of the application form • Certified cheque or money order in the amount of $325 payable to IAESTE Canada. • Two copies of your post-secondary transcripts (one original and one photocopy). • Two copies of a list of the courses (with titles) you are currently registered in, if it does not appear on the transcript. • Two copies of your resume or CV