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A gap year can help shape your future, so do something that matters

With many young idealists considering their gap year options, sustainable development charity Raleigh International is encouraging young people and their parents to ditch the usual ‘backpacker’ trips in favour of an adventure that matters.

Published: 1 August 2018 08:39 CEST
A gap year can help shape your future, so do something that matters
Harry Richardson (third left) and three other Raleigh volunteers. Photo: Raleigh International

A gap year is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for young people to develop personally, experience career paths they never thought possible, and to gain a greater understanding of the world. However, many young people worry that they could waste both time and money on a year spent travelling when they could be gaining academic qualifications or professional experience.

Unlike an ordinary gap year, volunteering overseas with a reputable, experienced development organisation like Raleigh International offers young people more than just the opportunity to travel the world making a difference. It also gives them the chance to build skills for future careers or study that will help them stand out from the crowd.

Learn more about volunteering with Raleigh International

Harry Richardson, 18, volunteered with Raleigh on a Nepal Expedition in 2017. After not receiving the A-level grades he had expected, Harry decided to take a gap year before re-sitting his exams.

Harry Richardson. Photo: Raleigh International
 
“I decided I wanted to take some time out before further education, but I wanted the time to be spent doing something useful,” recalls Harry.

It was at this time that Harry’s dad suggested he went on a Raleigh Expedition.

“Someone he knew had done it after finishing school. Raleigh provided an opportunity to make good use of my time and also allowed me to take some time away from home to think about my next steps – whether it be university or a career.”

A Raleigh Expedition is a life-changing programme for 17-24 year olds that combines sustainable travel and volunteering in Costa Rica, Nepal and Tanzania. Young people live and engage with remote communities not visited by tourists, and work on meaningful projects that create lasting change and protect natural resources.

Whether you are in North America, Europe, or elsewhere, as long as you are 17-24 years old, have a valid passport, and a passion to help others, a Raleigh Expedition can be the opportunity that enables you to have an unforgettable experience of creating lasting change in the world.

Anyone inspired by Harry’s experience will be happy to learn that Raleigh is currently recruiting new volunteers for its Expedition programmes in autumn 2018 and spring 2019.

Download an Expedition Guide to discover more about life on Expedition

“I think volunteering is one of your best options that you can do with your time,” says Harry. “If you are in the situation where you want to travel but are unsure what you want to do with your time abroad, this allows you to do some good. It also provides the opportunity to become more educated in wider issues and life skills.”

Harry adds that he feels he developed significantly as a person while volunteering.

“Raleigh enabled me to become more decisive and I feel I have learnt a lot about teamwork and determination, which are key skills. It is not easy to learn practical skills like this in a classroom. I feel that the only way to gain skills like this is to do it practically in real situations, through experiences you get volunteering.”

Raleigh volunteers can spend their Expedition in beautiful Nepal. Photo: Raleigh International

Harry’s father, Nick Richardson, believes the experience of volunteering internationally with Raleigh International has really benefited his son.

“Volunteering with Raleigh International provided focus for Harry. It’s not just the travelling – it’s learning the skills of being out there on your own, planning the trip and doing your fundraising. It’s about putting life in perspective and gaining new skills – I think that’s what Harry did and he’s a lot happier and more focused for it.”

Crucially, young people shouldn’t feel bad about wanting to get something out of volunteering on their gap year. Raleigh believes that organisations who work through young volunteers to make an impact should also be committed to helping their volunteers develop personally. Skills such as team work, communication, adaptability and the passion to become active citizens back home, will benefit young people greatly throughout their personal and working lives.

“What I’ve learnt in being away from home while volunteering – having to problem solve and work with people you don’t know while overcoming cultural differences – it’s hard to see how these won’t be useful at university or when I’m working. I am now planning on returning to the UK to do resits to get into university,” says Harry.

Raleigh runs Expeditions in Nepal, Tanzania and Nicaragua & Costa Rica for four, five, seven and 10 weeks. There are limited places available on Expedition programmes departing between September to December 2018 and February to April 2019.

So, if you want to change your life and the lives of others – or know someone else who might be interested in being a Raleigh volunteer – share this article or click on the link below to learn more.

Apply to be a Raleigh Expedition volunteer

 

This article was produced by Raleigh International

For members

IMMIGRATION

How can American citizens work in Italy?

Americans have to fight through a quagmire of bureaucracy to get the right to work in Italy. The Local spoke to Paolo Zagami, an immigration lawyer at Zagamilaw in Rome, to find out how others can get through the process as painlessly as possible.

Published: 27 August 2019 13:38 CEST
How can American citizens work in Italy?
Obtaining a work visa for Italy is lengthy, but possible. Photo: DepositPhotos

Americans – or anyone else from outside the European Union – are unable to just pack up and land in Italy for a slice of la dolce vita.

They require a work permit or visa, rules for which have grown tighter in recent years as the Italian authorities tighten restrictions to stem unemployment.

In fact, the difficulty of obtaining a visa, coupled with an impatience to fulfil their dream, drives many Americans to arrive in Italy without one.

READ ALSO: 'What I wish I'd known': An American's advice on getting residency in Italy


Photo: DepositPhotos

Zagami says that Americans often encounter “problems, misunderstandings and excessive delays” when applying to work in Italy.

But he warns that those who ignore the paperwork are not only breaking the law, but also putting themselves in a vulnerable position should they fall ill or need police assistance.

Know your quotas

Americans can only obtain a work permit in Italy through sponsorship from an Italian company or a foreign corporation doing business in Italy.

All paperwork must be filed by the employer. This starts with keeping an eye out for the publication of the Decreto flussi  or ‘Flow Decree’, which stipulates Italy’s entry quotas from any given country for the year and is usually published between January and April.

In 2019 Italy set a quota of 30,850 work permits for non-EU nationals, 18,000 of them for seasonal work in tourism or agriculture and 12,850 for non-seasonal or self-employment (including people converting an existing residency permit into a work permit).

READ ALSO: 

The total quota has remained stable since 2016, though the number of permits actually granted to non-EU workers has plummeted over the past decade. In 2017, the most recent year for which official data is available, Italy issued 2,802 permits to workers from the US, more than any other country.

Certain jobs are exempt from the quota system, including university professors, translators, interpreters and some roles in the performing arts. Therefore, Zagami says, it is important to check if and how you might be affected.

It is then crucial for the sponsor to begin the visa application procedure as soon as possible after the publication of the quota list, because most quotas are filled within a few days. Any applications arriving after the quota is filled, or which are completed incorrectly, are rejected with no chance of appeal.

What to do before you leave the US…

The Italian employer must then lodge an application for the work permit with the Central Immigration Office (Sportello Unico). If successful, the applicant will be issued with a no-impediment (nulla osta) document. This functions as a guarantee that the sponsor will enter into a contractual working relationship with the American employee-to-be.

In some professions, employers must also apply to the provincial employment office (Ufficio Provinciale del Lavoro e della Massima Occupazione) in their city by submitting evidence that there is nobody qualified for the position offered available in the local labour market. Although rare, it is possible for the authorities to suggest the employment of an EU citizen in their place, Zagami says.

He says one of the main reasons Americans experience difficulties is that “many employers are unwilling to go through the necessary procedure, maybe because of the slow and meticulous Italian bureaucracy, or also because of the set quotas”.

FOR MEMBERS: How to become Italian: A guide to getting citizenship


Photo: DepositPhotos

For freelancers or those hoping to work independently, the process is slightly different. Workers must apply for the visa independently and receive the no-impediment document from the local police headquarters (Questura).

There are further restrictions on the number of freelancers that may enter Italy from a certain country or nationality in any given year, and freelancers must also prove they have a proper income and adequate accommodation arranged in Italy.

Only once the no-impediment document is granted may an American apply for an entry visa (visto d'ingresso per motivi di lavoro) at an Italian consular office in their home city. This must be done before the American moves to Italy – Americans already in Italy have to return to the US to apply for their entry visa.

Zagami points out that while it could cause problems if Americans decide to enter the territory without a visa, it is possible to enter the country with a more easily obtainable student visa, for example, and convert this to a working one once they have found an employer in Italy – although tourist visas cannot be converted to working ones.

This procedure again involves applying to the Central Immigration Office for authorization.

… and once you get here

Within eight working days of arriving in Italy with their temporary work permit, all Americans must apply for a residency permit (permesso di soggiorno).

They also need to apply for a tax code (codice fiscale), one of the easier hurdles of Italian bureaucracy, at their local revenue agency (Agenzia delle Entrate).

READ ALSO:

The final step is to present the signed work contract to the local employment office (Centro per l’impiego), where the application will be approved.

With the temporary permit, the tax code and the approval of the employment office, the police headquarters will finally issue the long-term work permit.

How much does it cost?

Zagami says the visa itself costs around €116, while the process can take anywhere between 30 and 120 days. 


Photo: DepositPhotos

But what if the job offer falls through during the process, or an American loses their job in Italy?

Zagami advises that in these cases “it is important to look for another job immediately, because the legislation in force allows the employees to stay only six months after the loss of the former job”.

The process may be long-winded, but it is perfectly possible for Americans to come to Italy for work – as long as you've got the time, organization, patience and the necessary paperwork. 

This is an updated version of an article first published in 2013.

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