Note: Registration for the Fall 2025 cohort has passed. To be notified of future offerings, contact the email address below or sign up for the weekly IO Listserv. (To receive the listserv, please send an email with your request to international@mun.ca.)

The award-winning Professional Skills Development Program (PSDP) is a free, non-credit program designed to equip current international students with the foundational skills and knowledge needed to prepare for professional employment in Canada. 

Combining the latest in career education with experiential learning, participants are expected to attend 6 in-person workshops and complete assigned activities in order to expand their networks and demonstrate employment readiness in line with Memorial University's Student Success Competencies, building confidence in areas such as professionalism, critical thinking, digital literacy, intercultural awareness, and communication. Upon completion of the workshops, deliverables, and assignments, students will receive a certificate and have the option to add the PSDP to Memorial's Online Record of Experience (MORE). 

Topics explored include (but are not limited to):

• Career Development, Career Exporation, and Skills Identification

• Resume and Cover Letter Writing

• Job Searching, Networking, and Using LinkedIn

• Technological Developments in the Hiring Process: AI Applications & Considerations

• Interview Skills and Strategies

• Workplace Standards

• Intercultural Communication

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism at the Workplace

For more information, including sample details about the workshop schedule and requirements, please read below and/or refer to the latest Program Syllabus/Outline. 

Demonstrating Excellence in Student Services

The Professional Skills Development Program is a two-time recipient of the Award of Excellence in Student Services presented by the Atlantic Association of College & University Student Services (AACUSS). 

The Global Skills Exchange: Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Placements

When funding is available, participants of the PSDP may also be eligible to apply for short-term work-integrated learning placements, currently known as the Global Skills Exchange (GSE).

Since 2022, the project has facilitated more than 240 WIL placements with over 100 host organizations ranging from startups, research groups, community nonforprofits, and large-scale businesses.

We would like to acknowledge the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism and various employer partners across the province with whom we have partnered to support these placements. Program participants have gone on to secure employment with a range of organizations including Econext, Fugro, Angler Solutions, Brightisle, the Community Sector Council of NL, First Light, Business and Arts NL, and Verafin, among others.

To find out more about the GSE, please view our 2022-2025 Impact Report. To express future interest in engaging our PSDP students as an employer, please contact psdp@mun.ca for more information.