Policy Intern - Social Impact Division

WES Immigrant Youth Internship Program

World Education Services is seeking fresh and diverse insights to support its mission of advancing global mobility and integration of people into academic and professional settings.

World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. For more than 45 years, WES has set the standard of excellence in the field of international academic credential evaluation. Through WES Global Talent Bridge, the organization joins with institutional partners, community-based organizations, and policymakers to help immigrants and refugees who hold international credentials fully utilize their talents and education to achieve their academic and professional goals. Through its grantmaking, impact investing, and partnerships, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund seeks to advance economic and social inclusion for immigrants and refugees. For more information about WES, please visit our website at www.wes.org

The WES Immigrant Youth Internship Program:

We are currently accepting applications for our Immigrant Youth Internship Program (June to August 2023). The program supports immigrant youth (i.e., first- or second-generation immigrants, refugee youth, and/or international students) with obtaining meaningful work experience and building their professional portfolio. You can read more about the program here.

What We Offer:

• A chance to work with passionate and mission-driven leaders
• Opportunities to put theory from the classroom into practice at work
• Friendly colleagues and lots of networking opportunities
• Training and development opportunities, including access to LinkedIn Learning, customized learning plans, and our WES Wisdom Chat Series with WES leadership
• Competitive compensation: $24 an hour

This Internship Role:

Description:

WES is recruiting a Policy Intern to support our Strategy, Policy, and Research department. As a Policy Intern, you will support current projects on a range of issues impacting immigrants, refugees, and international students. Your work will be supervised by the Associate Director, Policy Advocacy You can expect to build skills and work experience in policy advocacy, strategy development, and stakeholder management in an organization committed to learning, and incorporating justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) into our practice.

We encourage prospective interns to learn more about WES Canada’s social impact activities, including work with partners, research and policy advocacy, and philanthropy.

Duties included but not limited to:

Working on several projects linked to WES Canada’s policy, programs, and philanthropic initiatives:

• Conduct or contribute to environmental scans and literature reviews to inform policy analysis and advocacy positions.
• Support the monitoring of research, news, policy, programs, legislation, and other information relevant to migration to Canada, international students, and the integration of internationally educated health professionals.
• Support the development of policy-related materials for a range of audiences: reports, position papers, briefing notes, submissions, talking points, infographics, blogs, and other materials.
• Provide administrative support as needed in drafting communications such as emails, PowerPoint decks, infographics, and agendas for key stakeholder meetings.

The Ideal Candidate will:

• Have a commitment to advancing the social and economic inclusion of immigrants, refugees and international students and a strong commitment to WES’ mission.
• Have a strong understanding and/or experiences related to immigration.
• Be an action-oriented person who is a self-starter and can work independently, as well as in a team.
• Have a deep-rooted intellectual curiosity and openness to diverse ideas and perspectives.
• Thrive in an environment that values transparency, collaboration, and is results focused.
• Contribute to collaborative working relationships with colleagues and external partners.

Requirements:

• Current student nearing program completion in a social science, public policy, international relations, business administration, economics, and/or other relevant program.
• Brings lived experience as a first-generation or second-generation immigrant, refugee youth, and/or international student.
• Organized and detail oriented with track record of delivering high-quality, accurate work.
• Strong ability to communicate in English (written/verbal) including in a remote work setting making use of digital collaboration and communication tools. French competencies are an asset.
• Foundational knowledge and/or familiarity with the Canadian political landscape through experience or education at the undergraduate or graduate level is an asset.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office is an asset.
• Experience with Salesforce is an asset.

Working Conditions:

The intern will work remotely alongside WES staff (located across Canada and the U.S.) who are also working remotely. This internship is open to candidates from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, or Nova Scotia. Interns who are based near our Toronto Office can enjoy the flexibility of working in the office or at home. WES’ Toronto office has a shared, open office environment with break-out and meeting rooms and light to moderate noise. Adherence to public health and safety Covid protocols are required to work from the WES office.

Hours: Full-time, 35 hours a week with flexible working options

Duration: 12 weeks, June to August (tentative program start: June 5)

Rate of Pay: $24 / hr

Equipment: Laptop will be provided for the duration of the internship

Application Process:

Please apply directly to the link provided on the website.

Applications will be accepted until March 10, 2023

Please submit a resume and a cover letter (maximum 1 page) highlighting your competencies and why you are interested in this opportunity with WES. Please respond in MS Word or PDF format. The file should be named as follows: SPR Policy Intern_Last Name, First name

DEI Statement:

WES values diversity in all its forms and recruits qualified individuals at all occupational levels that reflect the diversity of our clients and our community. We strive to foster a workplace in which all individuals maximize their potential, regardless of their differences. We are committed to providing accommodations for persons with disabilities. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, we will work with you to meet your needs. Please contact Human Resources at weshr@wes.org. Accommodation measures can be provided at all stages of the hiring process.