3 Programs to Work and Travel in Canada

Last Updated on May 15, 2022 by Charmaine | The Canadian Wanderer

If you are want an opportunity to work and travel within Canada, these programs will find you a job that will move you across the nation! Canada is the second largest country in the world and every province has a different flavor and taste! You don’t always have to search far or to move abroad to gain an amazing experience. You can do it right here in your own country, just by being an adventurous Canuck who wants to move out of your comfort zone!

Why Should You Have a Travel Job in Canada?

There are many ways to travel cheaply but having a travel job is definitely one of them. When you are located in one place, you have the opportunity to travel around the area and take your time to explore it. This helps you to not only save time but also saves money. Perhaps, moving to a different city or province is cheaper than your hometown, making you have more savings and less spending.

Another reason why you should move is so you have the opportunity to grow personally and professionally. When you move to a new environment, you are demonstrating that you are bulletproof and am adaptable in any situation! You are forced to deal with the subtle challenges of everyday life in a new environment and language. You experience all sorts of emotions for the first time: the joy of being understood via hand signals, being able to communicate in a language that you didn’t know before, and even the ups and downs of homesickness. It can turn out to be the best or worst experience of your life, but nevertheless, an adventure you will never forget! 

Mobilize – Hospitality Work

Mobilize is a new program that I recently heard about that hires young Canadians to fulfil labor shortage in the hospitality industry across Canada. The minimum requirement is six months, and hiring happens two seasons (Winter/ Summer) of each year. Roles will be either in a restaurant or hotel and includes positions such as Front Desk Attendant, Server, and Kitchen Helper. Besides the perk of travelling somewhere new in Canada and getting to live and work there, there are also other perks: 1) Free accommodation, 2) A salary + tips! and 3) Endless support and training from the program. It’s an amazing short-term opportunity (with low risks and costs) to get out of the city!

Requirements: 

• Age 18 or older
• Have high school diploma
• Must be legally able to work in Canada including work permits and work holiday visas

Odyssey – Teaching Program

My first teaching experience was in a national program organised by the Education Ministry of Canada. The Odyssey program is an exchange program between French-Canadians and English-Canadians, who are interested in learning more about each other’s culture and language. Native English speakers are placed across Quebec (a French province in Canada) and French speakers are placed across Canada’s English speaking communities as language assistants to teach each other’s native tongue in a local school.

It is a nine-month program where you are paid a very decent salary for only 25 hours of work. When I did the program, I worked in a small city in Northern Quebec, and worked in a primary and secondary school to practice English with local students in the area. It is a good program to learn French, be exposed to Quebecois culture and learn more about the country as a whole!

Requirements:

• Strong English/ French just like as it is your native to teach
• at least one full year of post-secondary education
• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada (those studying in Canada on a student visa are not eligible)

Summer Work Student Exchange Program

The YMCA Summer Work Student Exchange is a six-week summer program catered towards high school students (aged 16-17) to gain work experience while improving their second language (French or English). It is a national exchange program that works with employers across different provinces to provide jobs in the non-profit, public sector or community organisations. The best part is that it also includes a homestay, where students get an opportunity to further practice their language skills and learn about another culture living with a local family.

If you are in your last two years of high school, I think this is a great opportunity to explore Canada while gaining invaluable work experience!

Requirements: 

• must be 16-17 years old
• available to work for six weeks full-time
• basic knowledge of second language (French/ English)

Do you know of any other great programs to work and travel in Canada? Have you tried any programs? I would love to know about your experience and how you did it!