International work experience.

 

IAESTE

International Association for the Exchange of students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) is a confederation of 61 National Committees representing academic, industrial and student interests. Each National Committee is responsible for the administration of the exchange in its own country.

IAESTE was founded in January 1948 at Imperial College, London, on the initiative of the Imperial College Vacation Work Committee. National Organisations of ten European countries represented at this meeting became members and Mr James Newby was elected General Secretary. The geographical coverage was soon to spread to most of Europe and beyond, as new countries were admitted to membership.

The international body of IAESTE is a non-political, independent non-governmental organisation maintaining a consultative relationship with the following agencies of the United Nations: the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), UNESCO, UNIDO and the International Labour Office (ILO).

IAESTE is also in contact with the United Nations Economic Council For Africa (ECA), the Food and Agriculture (FAO), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the European Union (EU), as well as with other educational non-governmental organisations.

National Secretariats and committees make up the membership of the Association. Each year the General Conference brings together the representatives of these bodies to decide issues of general policy and to carry out the exchange of offers for training. Prior to the conference, each member country collects offers from employers willing to receive students from abroad for a temporary training period relevant to the students' areas of study, as a supplement to their University or college education. Offering companies or organisations are expected to pay students a wage sufficient to cover their cost of living during the actual training period.

The offers of training are exchanged with other members on a reciprocal basis. Through their affiliated universities and colleges, national secretariats select qualified students to meet employers' requirements as outlined in the training offer. Details of the selected candidates are sent to the companies for approval.

Participation in the IAESTE exchange is open to bona fide students attending courses at universities, institutes of technology and similar institutes of technology and similar institutions of higher education.

For More Information see the IAESTE website at http://www.iaeste.org/