Canada and Italy -new cooperation and travel youth mobility initiative-
Canada and Italy have agreed to improve labour market access through a new cooperation and travel youth mobility initiative for citizens aged between 18 and 35. Under the two-sided youth mobility agreement, young Canadians and Italians will be able to join a 12-month work and travel programme, in which candidates can participate twice, for a total of 24 months. They will be able to gain professional work experience through two new ways too – International Co-op and Young Professionals.
The agreement is set to provide youth from both countries with even more opportunities to live, travel, and work abroad once it is safe to do so and permitted.
Currently, only young people with current and valid job offers can travel to Canada under the International Experience Canada Program. The bilateral youth mobility arrangements are managed by IEC that allow Canadians to travel and work in partner countries and at the same time, the international youth can do the same in Canada.
More than 200,000 Canadians have participated in the programme since 2008.
The Italian minister of Immigration said that as we live in an interconnected world where innovation often comes from those who travel, who are interested in other cultures, and those who are opened to new ideas, insights and ways of doing things. This initiative is seen as a contribution to strengthening ties and the diversity and economic strength of both countries.
The aim is to create new opportunities for vocational training needs by today’s young people. The first mobility agreement between Italy and Canada was signed in 2006.
Canada established youth mobility initiatives with 36 countries and foreign territories, including many European countries, in addition to others such as Australia, Chile, Mexico, Taiwan and Ukraine.
There are three categories of the IEC program – Working Holiday, Young Professionals and International Co-op. Working holiday allows participants to receive open work permits anywhere in the host country, whereas with International Co-op, the participants receive employer-specific work permits that allow students to gain targeted experience in their field of study.
The Young Professionals programme has an employer-specific work permit to gain professional work experience. The agreement between Canada and Italy is to serve the new young generation to learn more about the cultures, life, language, and history.
