Type of Programs in Canada

If you’re seeking paid work on your gap year or career break, Canada stands out as one of the most thrilling destinations you could choose. Offering competitive wages, breathtaking scenery, and the convenience of the English language, Canada ranks among the top places worldwide for spending your gap year working!

All our partner employers expect dedication and high standards from their employees. Punctuality, professionalism, and courteousness are essential traits. What’s more, our employers encourage you to make the most of your time off. Rest assured, there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy your earnings in Canada! And when the season ends, you’ll find yourself in an incredible location—so why not extend your stay and explore more of Canada during your gap year?

Ski Instructor

With the Whistler Blackcomb Snow School University Program (WBSSU), you spend four weeks training for a Level 1 certification, allowing you to step right into a role as long as you pass. Gain vital skills and experience for your future career with a guaranteed job at the end!

Ski Support

If you want to be out on the slopes but don’t fancy an instructor role, a ski support position can be a great role for a season in Canada. Work with children providing support and alternative activities if they don’t want to ski, supervise the outdoor adventure park, or assist with managing the catering.

Hospitality

Want to spend your time in a resort but would rather just be skiing for fun? Hospitality roles are the perfect option, with roles such as concierge, front desk agents, retail staff, servers, baristas, housekeeping, chefs and more!

Mountain Operations

If you want to spend as much time roaming the mountains as possible, the lift operator team provides the opportunity to be the first on the slopes and enjoy a 4-day working week! Answer questions, solve guest problems and ensure that the lifts are used safely, combining manual labour and customer service in a role that provides plenty of time for recreational skiing ro snowboarding as well.

Ski Resorts in Canada

Choose between 2 awesome resorts offering gap year jobs in Canada for either the winter or summer season.

Whistler Ski & Snowboarding Jobs

Situated 2 hours north of Vancouver in the Coast Mountain Range, Whistler boasts over 8000 acres of skiable terrain and receives an average annual snowfall of over 11 meters! Consistently ranked the #1 ski resort in North America and the host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Whistler Blackcomb is truly world-class.

What sets Whistler apart is its vast terrain, exceptional customer service, and convenient accessibility. It’s one of the best places in Canada for a ski season, whether you want to work as an instructor on the slopes or something else at a resort. Check out the options available below:

• 4-Week Ski or Snowboard Instructor Course
• 7-Week Ski Instructor Course
• 11-Week Ski or Snowboard Instructor Course

If you miss out on a Canadian Work Permit or simply don’t have the time to commit to a full season working in Canada, consider our shorter ski or snowboard instructor courses in Whistler. These courses are purely instructor courses without a job requirement; therefore, a tourist visa is all you need. These courses run for durations ranging from 4 to 11 weeks.

If you’re eager to become a qualified ski instructor and work for a season, we offer a similar course in Austria.

Alternatively, if you have a great sense of humour, childcare experience, and are a confident skier, why not get paid to ski during your gap year with one of our popular Whistler Blackcomb Ski School jobs? You can also secure a job in customer-facing roles at one of the many upscale hotels in Whistler Village or in fast-paced kitchen environments.

The Canadian Rockies Ski & Snowboarding Jobs

The Rockies, particularly Banff, are a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, offering superb snow in winter and warm sunshine in summer. Oyster has been sending individuals to work in the Rockies since 2006, establishing connections with numerous employers in the hotel industry.

Most of our partner employers are based in Banff—the heart of this region of the Canadian Rockies.

Banff offers a vibrant town atmosphere amidst stunning natural beauty. With numerous ski resorts nearby and a bustling tourist scene, there’s always something exciting happening.

Tremblant Ski & Snowboarding Jobs

Since 2006, we’ve been facilitating work opportunities in French-speaking Tremblant, forging partnerships with excellent employers in the food and hospitality sector.

Tremblant offers a unique seasonal experience, allowing you to immerse yourself in a blend of French and English cultures. As part of our winter and summer Tremblant programs, we provide French lessons to help you acclimate. Tremblant is conveniently located for visits to Ottawa and Montreal, and you can even take a coach to New York for a few days!

During winter, Tremblant transforms into a skier’s paradise, with slopes catering to all skill levels. While the weather can be chilly, the clear blue skies and stunning views make it worthwhile!

In summer, enjoy warm and sunny weather, attracting tourists from around the globe eager to partake in mountain biking, trekking, tobogganing, lakeside activities, and the annual IronMan Competition.

With our programs, you’ll have the opportunity to spend anywhere from 4 weeks to an entire season in a destination most people only dream of visiting for a week.

​Planning Your Trip to Canada

Canada is one of the best places in the world to spend a gap year or a working holiday. To get the most out of the experience, you want to make sure that you’re as prepared as possible for what your time will involve. Here’s a quick guide to some of the key things you should know when planning your trip.

When to Apply

Early application is the best way to ensure that you can have the perfect working holiday in Canada without any disappointment. We recommend that you apply the season beforehand, so winter applications should be sent in summer and summer applications should be sent the winter before.

IEC Work Permit

Every year, the Canadian Immigration and Citizenship (CIC) department releases a limited number of Working Holiday Permits. While applying for and securing a Work Permit is your responsibility, we recommend applying to Oyster early to secure your interview and job offer before receiving our guidance on obtaining your permit.

Applicants must be aged between 18 and 30 at the time the CIC receives their application. Therefore, Oyster can only accept bookings from individuals who will be at least 18 years old in January of the departure year to maximize their chances of obtaining a Work Permit before they run out.

The IEC Working Holiday Permit is open to citizens of 32 countries, including the UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, and Spain.

We encourage individuals to book their Oyster place as soon as possible to benefit from our guidance. With limited spots available each year, we recommend joining the ‘pool of candidates’ as early as possible.

If you hold a US Passport, we may still be able to assist you—simply get in touch for details on our American partners.

To submit your profile, visit the International Experience Canada (IEC) webpage. For instructions on starting your application, sign up for our free Guide to the Work Permit.

Securing a work permit successfully will allow you to work in Canada for a year or more!

​C​ost of Living

Canada is notoriously an expensive travel destination, so this won’t be a working holiday where you can spend all of your earnings without much thought for budgeting. The type of resort you’re staying at will also impact the cost of your trip, with more luxurious locations typically being more expensive to live and work in.

Securing a job opportunity where accommodation, ski equipment and even meals are included is a great benefit of working in Canada, as this will allow you to spend more of your wages on other important things, and mean that you’re more likely to be able to save whilst you work too.

​Health & Safety

Visiting Canada doesn’t present many health and safety risks, as there aren’t any recommended vaccinations you need before coming to the country and it’s one of the safest places to visit in the world.

However, skiing trips do come with risks, and you should be aware of these before you plan to work in Canada for a season. Even the most experienced of snowsports enthusiasts can get into accidents, and you should take every precaution when out on the mountain to keep yourself and the people around you safe. After all, you wouldn’t want to get a trip all set up only to have to sit out the season with an injury!

Health insurance is the best way to be prepared for any potential accidents whilst you’re working and skiing in Canada. Most people rarely need to use this and will spend months without any kind of injuries or accidents, but if you do run into any trouble, you’ll be very glad that your insurance can cover anything you need!

Frequently Asked Questions