Application
The Canadian delegation for SWY24 has been selected. Click here to meet the delegation.
When Canada knows it has been invited by the Government of Japan to their next program, Canadians can apply for one of the following positions: Participating youth (delegates) or National Leader.
Who can apply?
To apply for the Canadian Delegation, applicants must be:
- Canadian Citizens (Permanent Residents do not qualify)
- Age 18 – 30 for participating youth
- Age 30 – 39 for National Leader
- Involved with their community
What kind of applicants or skills are desired for delegates?
The Canadian delegation needs to be a group that represents Canada. We do not have set numbers of delegates chosen from each province or region, but will avoid having sending a delegation that does not have a native French speaker or visible minorities. The delegation usually ranges from 18 – 30+ with people coming from the arts, athletics, health, business, politics or people working in their communities. It is not important what your background is, or how much experience you have, it all depends on how involved passionate you are in your community or area of interest. Applicants must understand that participants will have to commit to at least 10 to 15 hours a week of pre-ship preparation.
Find out more about delegates here.
What at kind of applicants or skills are desired for a National Leader?
Ideally, the National Leader is bilingual, aged between 30 to 39 years old, has experience as a leader and can commit at least 15 hours a week for preparation before the program. Being a former participant of SWY is not mandatory, but it definitely helps understanding the program and guiding the delegation among its tasks and objectives. This asset will be considered.
Find out more about National Leader here.
When can I apply?
The Government of Japan decides which countries are invited in April or May of each year. Countries are officially invited and if Canada is invited, we will begin promoting the program in early summer. The last few programs have sailed in January, in which case the application deadline in Canada will likely be late August. When Canada is invited, we will post an updated application form on our website and SWAP’s website (Student Work Abroad Program). We will also inform our fans on our Facebook page and Followers on our Twitter account.
You can also send an email to futureprograms@swycanada.org to join our mailing list and receive notification of future programs.
How can I find out when Canada is next invited?
Anyone interested in future programs can join our mailing list, become a fan of our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.
What is the selection process?
Yes, there is a selection process. We don’t pick names randomly. Competition is pretty strong. Every year, we get hundreds of applications. A selection committee is going through all applications. Volunteers spend a couple of days reading applications, discussing who could be a great delegate and teammate, debating and making decisions about who will be the lucky ones. The selection committee follow specific guidelines, avoiding conflicts of interest and making sure that every single applicant gets the respect of having its application entire read (yes, we read all 8 pages) by at least two members of the selection committee.
Is selection process the same for National Leaders?
No, the deadline is earlier than that for participating youths. The application requires a resume to be submitted and the application form includes extra questions.
Who is part of the selection committee?
Former participants of SWY are all members of the Canada SWY Alumni Association. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada has trusted the Association for years, letting it being completely in charge of the selection process. The selection committee is therefore formed of former participants who volunteer to read applications and select participants. The committee selects the delegation but the Government of Japan has the final word on the selection.
The selection committee for the National Leader position is a restricted committee formed of the President of Canada SWYAA and one or two other members that know the program very well. The final decision comes to the SWAP founder, who was first the one who would select the Canadian delegation in the early SWY years and who has been involved in the process since then. Of course, the Government of Japan takes final decision.
Interested in Applying for Future Programs?
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