College of the Rockies interns depart for overseas placements

The International Youth Internship program provides eligible Canadian youth with international experience, skills and knowledge

Ten interns have departed for their six-month international internships in Africa and the Caribbean. Pictured: (Standing, l-r) Catalina Parra, Braydon Lemay, Alex Patchett, Emily Burkholder, Kayla Funk, Morgan Cameron, Jyoti Prashad. (Front row l-r) Teagan Olmstead, Alexa Bennett, Andrea Velghe — Photo courtesy College of the Rockies

College of the Rockies is sending ten post-secondary graduates to locations in Africa and the Caribbean to take part in six-month international internships.

The ten interns, including two College of the Rockies alums, departed on June 1 and will return to Cranbrook in December. While overseas, interns will assist partners in carrying out market research related to eco- and adventure tourism, develop programs for and support access to education by students with disabilities, and support women and girls in accessing and succeeding in male-dominated trades training programs.

“College of the Rockies is proud to provide this opportunity to its graduates and other eligible Canadians as part of our continued effort to promote learning abroad,” says Kerry Brinkert, College of the Rockies Manager, International Projects and Partnerships.

Along with its partners Selkirk College and Bow Valley College, College of the Rockies received a combination of $1.5 million from Global Affairs Canada to fund the International Youth Internship program (IYIP). The initiative is part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy. This is the second group of interns to depart on behalf of the College.

The International Youth Internship program provides eligible Canadian youth with international experience, skills and knowledge to prepare them for future employment, increase employment opportunities by promoting awareness to Canadian organizations of the advantages of hiring young professionals, and to provide opportunities for Canadian youth to deepen their understanding of what it means to be a global citizen and to engage in international development.

“Being able to spend six months abroad will provide me with not only international work experience, but a great opportunity for personal growth,” said Alex Patchett, who will be interning at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in Nyeri, Kenya. “During my time in the College’s Adventure Tourism Business Operations program, I was able to develop the necessary skills to work in the tourism industry and thanks to IYIP I am now fortunate enough to take those skills to Kenya. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to learn from a country that has spent the better part of 10 years developing sustainable environmental and tourism practices.”

Learn more about international opportunities at: cotr.ca/opportunities

About College of the Rockies

For more than 40 years, College of the Rockies has provided post-secondary education that meets the needs and aspirations of the people, industry and businesses of our region. Each year, we welcome more than 10,000 full-time and part-time students into a full range of programs, including: skilled trades, university studies, adult upgrading, early childhood education, health and human services, business, office administration, tourism, hospitality, recreation, fire services, continuing education and contract training. Through smaller class sizes, highly-personalized instruction and dedicated support services, our students are primed to succeed in the job market, or in the next stage of their academic journey.