June 19, 2014
Federal Government Internship Program for Newcomers
In 2010, the federal government implemented a program designed to provide newcomers to Canada with internship opportunities. The program, the Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN), provides Canadian newcomers with temporary work experience in various government departments and agencies, including organizations in the private sector. This work experience is meant to assist newcomers with integrating into the Canadian labour market.
To be eligible for the program one must:
- Be a permanent Resident or Canadian Citizen for less than 10 years;
- Have a post-secondary degree;
- Be able to speak English or French; and,
- Register for the program and be screened by one of the program’s organizing partners.
Once a prospective candidate has applied, their application is shared with government departments and agencies needing interns. All qualified candidates are then matched with a particular job based on their skills and the needs of participating organizations. These organizations stem from various fields, including:
- Policy
- Administration
- Project Management
- Computer Science
- Communications
- Scientific Fields
- Finance
Interns are assigned a mentor for the duration of their 90 day internship. While in their designated positions, interns will acquire knowledge about culture in the Canadian workplace and Canadian hiring practices. They will also have the opportunity to network with professionals in the field.
Since the launch of this program in April 2010, over 130 newcomers have interned and valuable gained work experience within the federal government.