Since 1998, the Canadian government has been sponsoring hundreds of young Canadians working overseas in the field of international development – a highly competitive field that is nearly impossible to break into. This fabulous program (International Youth Internship Program) has offered critical opportunities for young professionals to get their foot in the door. Students/graduates are placed in diverse interships with development organizations overseas, while all costs of this invaluable experience are covered by CIDA, representing but a small portion of its overall budget. This was a way for the Canadian Government to invest in its young graduates/future leaders, allowing them much-needed, and hard to come by, practical experience. 

There has been talk that the current Government is planning to discontinue this International Youth Intership Program in 2009. This means that young graduates, pursuing work abroad in international development, will lose a crucial opportunity to get their feet in the door. Really, this represents a huge divestment by the Canadian Government from its future leaders. 

You can read more about the program and the threat of potential termination in the Embassy Magazine article from August 20th “Future of CIDA Internship Program Up in the Air“