Description:
We ask you to tell us what type of internship you are looking for and we will create a customized internship experience for you. We will place you in an environment where you will make a positive contribution to your host organization while gaining invaluable international work experience. We find placements for any type of participant, regardless of area of study or professional focus.
Highlights:
Cape Town, situated at the southern tip of the African continent, is emerging as one of the premier destinations for international business and tourism in Africa. Just over ten years removed from Apartheid, the city is a frontier for business and humanitarian innovation. Countless organizations, businesses and institutions have sprouted up in Cape Town to meet the demands of a growing economy and nation. By placing yourself in such an environment, you will gain incredible access to both a nation and a city still coming to terms with a new socio-political identity.
Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, surrounded by oceans and shadowed by a 3,000-foot mountain. The vistas are dynamic, breathtaking and surreal. When you are not working at your internship, you will have time to enjoy a variety of weekend adventure opportunities. During an excursion to wine country, you can sample some of South Africa's famous wines. Having lunch at the summit of Table Mountain or hiking the Twelve Apostles only requires a good pair of shoes and a hiking buddy. Visiting the District Six Museum and Parliament are great activities for the politically-minded participant. A perusal of one of Cape Town's African craft markets gives you the chance to barter with artists from across Africa. And if you've always wanted surf or scuba dive but never had the chance to do so, Cape Town is the place for you!
Qualifications / Skills Needed:
We are an elite internship program that only accepts the most serious and professionally focused applicants. Our participants work full time and are expected to make an impact at their internship sites. Central to our program philosophy is the concept of mutually beneficial experiential learning, through which the intern, partner organization, and the communities they serve, have the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop in dynamic and positive ways.
Intern Types:
Accounting,
Admin (Health Services),
Admin (Hospitality, Sports),
Admin (Recreation, Parks),
Agricultural Sciences,
Anthropology,
Archaeology,
Architecture,
Art History,
Art/Fine Arts,
Astronomy/Astrophysics,
Biochemistry,
Biology(General),
Biomedical Sciences,
Business Admin, Management,
Chemistry,
Comm (Radio, TV, & Film),
Comm. Sci & Disorders,
Communications,
Computer Science,
Cooking,
Counseling,
Development,
Ecology,
Economics,
Education,
Engineering (Chemical),
Engineering (Civil),
Engineering (Mechanical),
Engineering(Electrical),
Environmental Management,
Environmental Sci (Atmosph.),
Environmental Studies,
Family and Home Studies,
Fashion Business,
Fashion Design,
Finance,
Food Science and Nutrition,
Geology,
Graphic Design,
Health Sciences,
History,
Hotel/Restaurant/Hospitality,
Human Resources,
Human Rights,
Humanities,
Industrial Psychology,
Information Systems,
Interdisciplinary,
Interior Design,
International Relations,
Journalism,
Kinesiology/Exercise Science,
Labor & Industrial Relations,
Landscape Architecture,
Law,
Marine Science,
Marketing, Ad, PR,
Mathematics,
Medicine,
Music,
Music Business,
National Park Employment,
Occupational, Envir. Health,
Pharmaceuticals,
Philosophy,
Photography,
Physical Therapy,
Physics,
Political Science/Politics,
Psychology,
Public Admin, Public Pol, Govt,
Real Estate,
Resort Employment,
Sales,
Scuba,
Social Sciences,
Social Work,
Sociology,
Sports,
Statistics,
Sustainable Development,
Technology,
Theater, Drama, Dance,
Tourism,
Urban & Regional Planning,
Women's Studies
and Zoology & Wildlife Sciences
Languages:
English
and German
Cost in US$: $1,350
Cost Includes:
* Our staff will help you locate furnished housing in Cape Town for the duration of your stay. Participants are welcome to independently search for housing though this service is included in your program fee. Regardless of the size of your budget, we will locate accommodation that suits your needs. Contact us to view photos of accommodations we have arranged for past participants.
* We guarantee internship placement according to our placement philosophy. Before your internship location is confirmed, a VACorps staff member will make an in-person visit to the identified site to ensure a match between your skill-set and the organizations needs. While our application process is thorough, we are unyielding in our commitment to creating an internship opportunity that will serve your professional interests.
* A VACorps staff member will greet you at the airport and take you to your place of accommodation in Cape Town. When the time comes for you to leave South Africa, we will arrange for a staff member to give you a ride to the airport.
* Upon your arrival, you will participate in an orientation conducted by a staff member. Orientation lasts two days and serves the purpose of helping you have a successful living and working experience in Cape Town. The focus of our orientation is safety.
* During the course of a 10-week internship (most common length of internship), we schedule regular Friday afternoon group excursions to different locations in Cape Town. Excursions are an optional, yet highly recommended, way to see a new part of the city every week. In 2008, we scheduled a variety of unique excursions ranging from wine tasting and hiking, to sailing in Cape Town harbor and touring the construction site of the future 2010 soccer world cup stadium.
*All participants will be invited to attend a weekly Xhosa language class. Xhosa is South Africa's second most common home language, after Zulu, to which Xhosa is closely related. Our Xhosa classes will greatly benefit interns working at schools, NGOs and community medical clinics.
*Participants are encouraged to join VAC FC, a community soccer team sponsored by VAC. The team, comprising VACorps participants, South Africans and exchange students, practices twice per week and schedules weekend games against township teams. VAC FC is the ideal way to make friends and meet members of the local community!
* We schedule two optional seminars over the course of your internship. Our first seminar occurs during the first week of your internship, and the general theme is maximizing your internship experience in a foreign country. Our second seminar is a resume/CV writing workshop that will occur near the end of your internship.
* We will give you a phone to use for the duration of your stay in South Africa. Our VACorps phones come pre-loaded with the following contact numbers: VACorps staff members, EMS, police, and several reliable taxi companies.
* Our staff is on call 24-hours a day to assist you whether you require advice, counsel, emergency assistance or even friendship. While we allow our participants a great deal of independence, we also provide you with a reliable support network whenever you require assistance. Working as an intern in Cape Town is an incredibly exciting experience though it is important that you have someone to turn to when you need assistance in a foreign country. We are always there for you, 24-hours a day.
* You will receive a weekly participant-only newsletter by email. Please email our program director if you would like to request a copy of a past newsletter. Newsletters typically make you aware of events happening in Cape Town and preview the Friday afternoon activity and departure time.
* You will receive a copy of our official program guidebook, The Insiders Guide to Cape Town prior to your departure. Our 30-page guide comes complete with useful information that will help you prepare for your overseas journey.
* Our program fee is $1350, regardless of your length of stay. Intern for up to six months!
Experience Required: no
This Program is open to
Worldwide
Participants.
.
Participants Travel to South Africa
Independently
Typically Participants Work
Independently
Application Process Involves:
- Online Application plus Application Assessment
- Other
- Resume
Typically The Application Process Time Is 4-6 weeks
Post Services Include:
- Alumni Network
- Job and Internship Network
Volunteer Adventure Corps's Mission Statement: Central to our program philosophy is the concept of mutually beneficial experiential learning, through which the intern, partner organization, and the communities they serve, have the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop in dynamic and positive ways. Ultimately, we want you to have an incredible experience in Africa while gaining the type of professional exposure that will be one of the first talking points in any job interview.
Year Founded: 2006
South Africa
