What is NetCorps Canada International?
What are the key objectives of the program?
Why is Industry Canada involved in an international youth program?
Before You Go...
Who are the people NetCorps is looking for?,
How long is a NetCorps overseas placement?
Does "voluntary" mean I won't get paid?
How do I apply?
When should I apply?
What happens after I am officially selected as a NetCorps intern?
How am I matched to an overseas placement?
What training does NetCorps provide?
Will I have to fundraise before I go overseas?
Do I have to arrange my work permit and visa myself?
While Overseas...
What kind of work do interns do?
Who will I work for?
Will I be in contact with VSO?
What can I expect while overseas?
Do I have to stay in the same placement for six months, or can I change?
Will there be other interns near me?
What if I get sick?
What happens in the event of an emergency?
Will I be paying out of pocket as a result of going overseas with NetCorps?
What is NetCorps Canada International?
With funding channeled through Industry Canada, and managed by the NetCorps coalition and Secretariat, NetCorps is a Youth Employment Strategy (YES) program that offers exciting Information and Communications Technologies internships of approximately six months in developing countries.
The program was piloted in 1997 with 14 interns funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Since then, more than 500 interns have been placed in Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa. The program includes countries that are members of La Francophonie and the Commonwealth.
What are the key objectives of the program?
to respond to young people's need for work experience and career development
to support developing countries' efforts to enhance their information and communications technologies capacity
to support developmental objectives of partners to improve their information and communications technologies capacity abroad, thereby supporting health, education and agriculture
to profile Canadian leadership in the use of information and communications technologies for social and economic development
to help promote a connected Canada to the world
Why is Industry Canada involved in an international youth program?
NetCorps Canada International is a global extension of the various domestic youth employment program related to the Internet and run by Industry Canada, including NetCorps Canada, the youth component of the Community Access Program.
Industry Canada is also drawing on the expertise of other organizations that work in this field through an advisory committee that provides Industry Canada with strategic direction on the program, consisting of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) Canada, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), the Association of Canadian Community Colleges and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
Who are the people NetCorps is looking for?
NetCorps looks for people who are willing to share their Information & Communication Technology (ICT) skills; to pass on what they have learned through their own education and work experience, and who are prepared to learn from the people they will work with overseas.
How long is a NetCorps overseas placement?
Most NetCorps internships are for six months. There are occasionally placements of four months.
Does “voluntary” mean I won’t be paid?
“Voluntary” means that you are willing to take your professional skills and apply them in a very different context, with the expectations of a lower wage. While overseas, you will not receive a salary equivalent to a North American employee in a similar role. Your riches will accrue through new and challenging experiences. Most volunteers have found that the money they receive is adequate to maintain a comfortable quality of life while overseas.
If you fit the basic NetCorps profile and are interested in working overseas, please complete the online application form, or send your resume to
You should apply as soon as possible. We send interns overseas from April until August. Please do not apply more than one year in advance of when you are able to go overseas.
What happens after I am officially selected as a NetCorps intern?
We’ll let you know the results from your assessment day within 5 days. If selected you will be working with a NetCorps Program Officer who will guide you through the process. Your Program officer will work to match you with a relevant overseas placement and prepare you for your departure overseas.
How am I matched to a placement?
Your Program officer is your key contact at VSO Canada. She will work with you to identify an appropriate placement. As soon as you are selected, you will have a chance to discuss your skills, experience and any personal issues that will need to be considered when matching you to an overseas placement.
When finding a placement for you, we will do our best to take into account any preferences you may have. However, at the heart of NetCorps’ philosophy is a willingness on the part of interns to assist wherever they are needed most.
What training does NetCorps provide?
We see the NetCorps training program as an essential part of your preparation for an overseas placement. The training program consists of self-briefing, pre-departure orientation and language training (where necessary) and cultural orientation.
As soon as you are selected, you will be scheduled to attend a Preparing for Change (PFC) training weekend, normally held in Ottawa. The weekend focuses on personal adaptation issues and the role of volunteers in the development of third world communities. Here, you will meet other selected interns and volunteers from the mainstreamVSO program, hear returned volunteers and/or interns, talk about your outreach role as a representative of NetCorps and VSO Canada and learn skills to help you in your transition to overseas work. With your program officer you will be able to discuss the requests that NetCorps receives for interns with your experience, and your needs will be assessed on an individual basis.
You will also attend a week long training session that has been developed by the NetCorps Secretariat. This orientation puts you in touch with NetCorps interns from the other volunteer-sending agencies who are part of the NetCorps Coalition. The objective of this training and orientation program is to promote knowledge sharing, learn about adult education techniques and discuss methods of technical knowledge transfer.
Finally, language training (where necessary) and cultural orientation are provided on arrival in the country of your placement.
As part of your overall training, you will be encouraged to brief yourself about the country to which you are going. We will assist you with this by providing some materials and references for further reading. We also recommend that you arrange to talk to a Returned Intern (or two) as an excellent way to learn more about this overseas experience, the exciting adventures you can expect, and the challenges of adapting to a new cultural context.
Will I have to fundraise before I go overseas?
We believe that interns are our best ambassadors in communities throughout Canada. We will invite you to assist in fundraising (keeping a personal goal of $500 in mind) and outreach before you leave for your placement and when you return as a Returned Intern. We will provide you with training and support for this type of activity. It can be a great way to talk about what you are about to do, and generate support for VSO Canada and an appreciation for the critical role volunteers can play in international development. It also demonstrates your commitment to the NetCorps program specifically, and to international development in general. Remember, each party involved in your placement has made some kind of financial contribution.
Do I have to arrange a work permit and visa myself?
No. Your Program Officer will arrange this for you.
What kind of work do interns do overseas?
Every NetCorps assignment is different, as are the partners and locations. Tasks range from establishing Internet connections, preparing manuals and documentation, designing and providing skills development for creating websites, developing databases, networking workstations and setting up and configuring hardware.
In practically all cases, interns are placed with an overseas host agency such as a government department, non-governmental organization or institution such as a school or hospital. As a NetCorps intern you are working with and reporting to your local host agency.
Will I be in contact with VSO?
VSO has a program office in almost every country in which we work. The program office is always available in case of general or personal emergency. In countries where there is no link with a VSO program office an emergency plan will already have been agreed to with the host agency.
What can I expect while I am overseas?
As a NetCorps intern, it is important that you get a clear idea of the lifestyle and circumstances that you will encounter overseas. Our pre-departure training and self-briefing will assist you in this process. As an intern, you can rest assured that you will receive a modest living allowance and enjoy comfortable living conditions; potential for social relationships as well as personal private space; program office or host agency support to maintain your safety and personal welfare; shared circumstances with local colleagues; and the experience of a lifetime.
Do I have to stay in the same placement for six months or can I change?
When you accept a NetCorps internship, it is with the understanding that it will be for a commitment of up to six months. NetCorps and your host agency expect you to honour that commitment.
Will there be other interns near me?
Interns are sometimes placed together. Most interns will be placed within reasonably easy reach of other interns, volunteers in the mainstream program or expatriates of various nationalities. We have a policy of not placing individual interns in remote areas unless both NetCorps and the interns are confident that it will work out well.
Living and working in the developing world, where conditions may be fairly basic, demands a certain level of physical and psychological fitness. Therefore, it is NetCorps’ policy that before going overseas you have a medical examination within one month of your selection as an intern. Previous medical treatment will not necessarily disqualify you from being offered a placement, although it will be considered in deciding your suitability.
While you are overseas, your health will be of paramount importance. This is why placements must ensure that you have reasonable standard of living, clean water and a diet that is not detrimental to your health.
VSO Canada has its own medical advisor who can offer up to date vaccination advice and make health care recommendations. Wherever VSO is working, we have identified good medical facilities and made strong links with doctors/medical centers of accepted international standards – often doctors who are used by Embassies & High Commissions. In countries where VSO is not currently working, your host agency will have made the necessary links. While you are overseas, VSO will arrange and support the cost of essential medical treatment.
VSO also has comprehensive arrangements in place for evacuation in the event of a medical emergency.
What happens in the event of an emergency?
In the event of civil disorder, natural disaster or any personal crisis, the VSO program Office or, in non-VSO countries, your host agency is responsible for taking whatever action is necessary to ensure your safety and personal well being.
All interns are provided with the number for VSO Canada’s twenty-four hour emergency pager. This will allow them to access a VSO Canada staff member at any time in the event of an emergency.
VSO Program Offices maintain close links with Canadian, British and Dutch high Commissions and Embassies and will always act, in the event of an emergency, on the advice of these bodies. All non-VSO host agencies provide us with a detailed emergency response and evacuation plan. They are also in possession of VSO Canada’s 24- hour emergency contact details from NetCorps Program Staff in Canada.
Will I be paying out of pocket as a result of going overseas with NetCorps?
As a NetCorps intern, you can expect a comprehensive financial package and practical assistance from VSO Canada. This will prepare you for your placement, support you while overseas, and help you to ease back into life upon your return home.
Specifically...
Coming Home
Returned interns will have experienced an extremely wide range of cultural and political differences. Most interns are keen to share their experiences, and particularly to share their impressions of the developing world with others. NetCorps believes that returned interns are some of the best ambassadors for promoting international understanding, and attracting support for international volunteerism.
Upon your return you will be invited to attend a Returned Intern Debriefing weekend where you will be able to meet other returned interns and enjoy the chance to discuss your own experiences, issues around re-adapting to life in Canada, and development issues in general.
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