High University Fees or The University of Life?

July 27, 2011 - PRLog -- Need to earn money to help cover university fees?  Decided against university and want to kick-start your career?

BUNAC is recommending working gap years in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, which all seem to be weathering the economic storm better than the USA and Europe and offering good job prospects for 2011-12. BUNAC provides assistance with visa applications and travel arrangements, plus walk-in resource centres in major cities that offer invaluable support with job and accommodation hunting.

Paid jobs during a gap year were once limited to picking fruit or working in a bar, but now this get-away option really does offer valuable, interesting and career-focused experiences, as well as a means of adding vital skills to a CV while earning money and enjoying the adventure of a life-time. http://www.bunac.org/gap-year/

BUNAC also recommends Teach and Travel China as a great way to gain a TEFL qualification and paid, CV-enhancing teaching experience while getting to know a fascinating culture.

Work New Zealand: Recent participants on BUNAC’s 12 or 23-month Work New Zealand programme have undertaken a wide range of career-related jobs from fundraiser, events co-ordinator, chef and ice hockey coach, to business analyst, writer on a women’s magazine and camera assistant for big budget TV commercials.  Not only do positions of this kind have the potential to pay a competitive wage, they also undoubtedly help to open doors to employment in the future.

Work Australia: BUNAC’s in-country partner organization is seeing the majority of participants on this 12-month programme find paid work within two to three weeks of arrival. The unemployment rate has fallen recently to 4.9%, so prospects are good, salaries are competitive and working holidaymakers can afford to enjoy a decent standard of living.

BUNAC’s comprehensive working holiday support packages to Australia and New Zealand cost £349 per person including visa support, two nights’ accommodation on arrival, a detailed orientation session, plus access to walk-in resource centres in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. Optional group flights include a three-day stopover in Hong Kong, perfect for getting to know like-minded travellers.

The walk-in centres offer a wealth of job-hunting support including job presentations, access to an extensive jobs database, an online CV builder, plus face-to-face job hunting and interview advice. http://www.bunac.org/uk/workaustralia and http://www.bunac.org/uk/worknewzealand

Work Canada: A gap year doesn’t have to be all work and no play and on Work Canada, it’s possible to combine the two.  This popular programme is an ideal opportunity for keen skiers and boarders to spend a whole winter working in one of the world’s top mountain resorts, such as Whistler, Banff, Lake Louise or Mount Tremblant; earning money as they have the time of their lives.  

BUNAC, which has dedicated resource centres in Vancouver and Toronto providing essential support with job and accommodation hunting, is encouraging anyone interested in joining the programme for the winter 2011/12 season to sign up as soon as possible.  Recruitment fairs are held in Canada in October and are THE place to go for anyone hoping to be hired by a ski resort.

And, since ski resort jobs often come with attractive perks such as free ski packs and lift passes or subsidized accommodation, they are one of the most financially advantageous ways to spend a whole winter on the slopes.

BUNAC’s Work Canada programme costs £254 per person including support in obtaining visas and insurance policies, handbook, assistance in finding a job and accommodation, airport transfers and first night’s accommodation. Help with opening a bank account, applying for a Social Insurance Number and obtaining tax exemption is also provided, together with CV-writing and interview advice, plus a calendar of social events. http://www.bunac.org/uk/workcanada

Teach and Travel China:  Available to those aged 19 and over, this six-month programme includes a four-week intensive TEFL course based in Beijing, plus orientation sessions to introduce participants to the Chinese culture, Mandarin lessons, group trips and activities.  Participants then apply their new teaching skills during a five-month placement in a school, working alongside Chinese teachers.  

Accommodation is provided in the school grounds and a salary/allowance of around £175 is paid per month, plus a completion bonus of approximately £220. At the end of the placement, participants receive a TEFL certificate and a reference from the school. The programme costs £2,095 including all of the above plus one-on-one orientation interview, health screening, visa processing, transfers and most meals. http://www.bunac.org/volunteer/teflchina

For further information on working abroad with BUNAC and the chance either to save money before being faced with the huge debt that comes with further education, or to find a position that may just turn out to be the first step onto the career ladder, visit: http://www.bunac.org/uk/workabroad/workabroad.aspx

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As the UK’s leading non-profit travel club, BUNAC offers great-value working holidays, summer camp and volunteer projects in some of the most exciting destinations on earth!