Participate in Global Skills Opportunity

Who benefits when Canadians work and study abroad? We all do.

Participation goals for 2021 and beyond.

Global Skills Opportunity wants international learning experiences to be easily accessible to all Canadian students. Compared to similar countries, fewer Canadian students—about 11% of university undergraduates and 3% of college students—participate in work or study abroad experiences as part of their studies. Global Skills Opportunity stands to change that. By empowering post-secondary institutions to implement innovative solutions to barriers to participation, Global Skills Opportunity is expanding the horizons of Canadian students from coast to coast, and improving Canada’s competitiveness on the world stage.

New skills and international learning experiences are ready for students to take their education to the next level.

Students can unlock endless potential with Global Skills Opportunity.

PS INSTITUTIONS

Enrich your institution’s campus and offerings with Global Skills Opportunity. Your students will thank you.

STUDENTS

Make a world of difference and take your passions further. It’s time for international learning to be more accessible.

PARTNERS

It takes a nation to build the next generation of leaders. GSO seeks partners to invest in the future of Canadian students.

Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) was Canada’s national outbound student mobility pilot program and was an integral component of the Government of Canada’s International Education Strategy. It officially ceased operations March 31, 2025. This five-year pilot program helped 15,000 Canadian post-secondary students gain invaluable international study and work experiences, strengthening their global skills and competencies. GSO was funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, and jointly administered by Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada.

Program details

GSO was designed to break down barriers for Canadian post-secondary students – especially low-income students, students with disabilities and Indigenous students – so they could participate in study and work abroad experiences. Focused on facilitating experiences in non-traditional destinations (countries other than Australia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States) GSO was also an important step towards achieving Canada’s trade diversification goals and strengthening international networks.