English speaking USA and Canada are popular with gap year travellers. This vast continent provides a wide range of gap year projects, from environmental volunteer work, to paid care jobs. Most gap year students choose to take part in a number of shorter courses that allow them to travel around and see more places. Alternatively you may wish to take up a more permanent role that includes a wage, and use that money to travel before your working holiday visa expires. Both the US and Canada are home to people from all over the world, making it relatively easy to settle in without much in the way of culture shock.
The United States of America and Canada have always been viewed as a land of opportunity. Close ties with the UK, combined with the dominance of the English language, means that course providers offer a good range of opportunities in North America. You will need to decide whether you want to stay and work in one place, or travel around in order to see as much of the continent as possible.
Do you want a career that will take you across the globe? Do you want to live and work in the world's top ski destinations?
Become a ski instructor with EA Ski & Snowboard Training and fast-track your career in the snow industry. Choose from 30 resorts across five countries.
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EA Ski and Snowboard
Want to get turn your love of skiing or snowboarding into a career?
Become a ski or snowboard instructor. Receive world-class training, gain internationally-recognised qualifications and get a guaranteed paid job offer at the ski resort of your choice.
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EA Ski and Snowboard
Work in rural Australia with horse or farm work, do hospitality in the cosmopolitan cities of Sydney or Auckland, earn money teaching in Thailand or Vietnam, or work on a Canadian ski resort. Travel, gain experience, get to know the locals & enhance your CV! More Details..
Oyster Worldwide
Want to get turn your love of skiing or snowboarding into a career?
Become a ski or snowboard instructor. Receive world-class training, gain internationally-recognised qualifications and get a guaranteed paid job offer at the ski resort of your choice. More Details..
EA Ski and Snowboard
Enjoy a summer working at a famous American Summer Camp.
Get paid to have fun, meet new people and work your dream job, hobby or passion. Spend your summer at camp, then travel around some of the world's most amazing places like New York, Chicago or Miami.
Make the most of your summer with More Details..
USA Summer Camp
Make a real difference with Oyster’s global network of charities and organizations! Take part in an adventure to volunteer with exotic wildlife and support environmental conservation in breath-taking locations. Choose your own adventure length, from one thrilling week to an exhilarating 12 months. More Details..
Oyster Worldwide
Do you want a career that will take you across the globe? Do you want to live and work in the world's top ski destinations?
Become a ski instructor with EA Ski & Snowboard Training and fast-track your career in the snow industry. Choose from 30 resorts across five countries. More Details..
EA Ski and Snowboard
Popular North American Destinations:
USA, Canada
Quick America Facts:
Population - 500 million
Languages - English, and French in Canada
Visa Information:
You will need a working holiday visa. Check with the Foreign Office for more information!
The USA and Canada cover such a vast area (Canada is the second largest country in the world by area, and USA the third), which means there really is something for everyone. The USA has some of the major cities of the world like New York and San Francisco where you'll find famous landmarks and diverse cultures. Canada is considered the must visit country for wilderness lovers because you'll find amazing ski resorts high up in the mountains, the most rugged and spectacular landscapes and some of the most famous natural wonders of the world like Niagara Falls.
A popular choice by thousands of British travellers each year is to teach a range of activities to children at one of the many Summer Camps throughout North America. This is a fantastic option if you want to spend time working in a foreign country and building your experience, perhaps before or during university, and it allows you to earn money to fund further travel after the job finishes meaning you can make the most of your time overseas and see as much of the country as possible.
For those who want some action and adventure on their North American gap year, why not try a mountain biking course or train as a ski instructor and work a season at one of the top resorts in Canada. Work on a ranch in the USA, or help out as a community volunteer in a school, or wildlife centre. The choices are endless.
The ten provinces and three territories of Canada form a country larger than the United States. Canada is a land of contrasts; the vast, flat wheat producing prairies, sit alongside the towering, jagged peaks of the Canadian Rockie Mountains. In such a landscape, gap years come in all shapes and sizes. Make sure you check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for travel advice, and visa information. And research the climate for the part of Canada you are heading to as the temperature extremes of hot and cold are far greater than we are used to in the UK.
Improve your skiing and snowboarding technique and qualify to teach the basics to tourists at some of Canada's premier winter resorts, including Whistler and Lake Louise. Some of the courses offered by our advertisers below also guarantee a paid job at the end of your gap year course. Alternatively enjoy a month long mountain biking course designed to improve your skills and allow you to experience some single track we can only dream of here in the UK.
Get help with finding employment in Canada with support, advice and tips from some of the best gap year companies. There is a wide range of work available if you are persistent and are flexible about the type of work you are willing to do. There are season opportunities in the winter sports resorts, and when the snow melts you will find plenty of work in bars and cafes, harvest work, and jobs on farms.
Whilst cities like Vancouver and Toronto with their incredible standards of living are popular places to visit and live, one of the main attractions for many people visiting Canada is the wilderness. An almost incomprehesible amount of land is still completely untamed and is a big pull for people looking for a true outdoor adventure. Perhaps you could fill your Canadian gap year with a few weeks under canvas on a guided tour of the great outdoors.
