Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) program

George Brown College (GBC) is proud to participate in the Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) program, a national initiative that provides financial support to students participating in international learning experiences at home and abroad, virtual or in person. 

This program helps power GBC’s student mobility project. The goal is to help students, particularly students from underrepresented groups, develop intercultural competencies that will set them up for success in a global workforce.  GSO funding comes from Employment and Social Canada (ESDC) and is administered by GBC in partnership with Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICAN).

Learn more about the GSO program. 

Who is eligible?

This GSO project is open to all Canadian post-secondary students but prioritizes Indigenous, low-income, racialized, and students with disabilities.

Students must meet the following criteria to be eligible: 

  • A Canadian citizen or permanent resident 
  • 18 years of age or older 
  • Registered in a full or part-time program at George Brown College 
  • In good standing in their program 

International students  

International students are not eligible for GSO funding but may be supported by GBC’s Global Mobility Bursary.

How do I apply?

Contact GBC’s International Field Education Administrator, Aida Viveiros, at aviveiro@georgebrown.ca to learn more about the GSO program and available opportunities.

FAQ

What kind of Global Mobility Opportunities are funded?

GSO provides funding for physical and virtual international learning activities, lasting one week to one year, for which academic credit/recognition is given.  

The types of activities include:  

  • Exchange/study abroad for academic credit (semester, full year, or summer/official academic breaks sessions)  
  • Work-integrated learning opportunities abroad  
  • Faculty-led study tours lasting from one to three weeks  
  • International field courses  
  • Group training internationally  
  • Volunteer placements that are recognized as part of an academic credit program
Where can international learning experiences take place?

All physical mobility (in-person) experiences must take place outside of Canada. Activity is encouraged to take place in non-traditional destination countries (i.e., countries other than the US, the UK, France and Australia).  

GBC works strategically with partner institutions in Brazil, China (including Hong Kong), Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Panama, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and the UK, and priorities are given to placements with those partners where possible.  

Participants may study or work in any destination, but international experiences will not be permitted in countries (or regions within countries) with travel advisories from the Government of Canada recommending the avoidance of all travel or non-essential travel.  

All outbound mobility programming is required to follow the Government of Canada’s travel advisories. Please refer to https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories for more details.

Find more FAQ on the Global Skills Opportunity website.