Dreamworks English Training Center
GBC Associates. LLC,
all about english education and international culture exchange
Summer Work/Travel (SWT)
Regulations pertaining specifically to the SummerWork/Travel category are found at [22CFR 62.32].
Through this category foreign post-secondarystudents may enter the United States to work and travel for amaximum of four months during their summer vacations. While mostparticipants enter the United States with prearranged employment,sponsors are required to place only 50 percent of theirparticipants each year. Sponsors must ensure that participantsentering the United States without prearranged employment havesufficient financial resources to support themselves during theirsearch for employment. In addition, sponsors must provide suchparticipants with information on how to seek employment and securelodging in the United States before they depart their homecountries, and with a job directory that includes at least as manyjob listings as the number of participants in their program who areentering the United States without prearranged employment. Finally,sponsors must undertake reasonable efforts to secure suitableemployment for participants unable to find jobs on their own afterone week.
Sponsors are to advise program participants aboutFederal Minimum Wage requirements, and are to ensure thatparticipants receive the same pay and benefits as received by theirAmerican counterparts in the same or similar positions.
Program regulations permit participants to repeatthe program more than once. However, sponsors are required to limitthe number of repeating participants to no more than 10 percent ofthe number of their previous year's participants.
Department regulations prohibit the placement ofprogram participants as domestic help in U.S. households or inpositions requiring them to invest their own money for inventory,such as door-to-door sales. Most participants typically work innon-skilled service positions at resorts, hotels, restaurants, andamusement parks. Summer internships in US businesses and otherorganizations (i.e., architecture, science research, graphicart/publishing and other media communication, advertising, computersoftware and electronics, and legal offices, etc.) are allowed. However, the term of the internship may not exceed the four-monthprogram duration, and must be completed during the student's summervacation. Please refer to the regulations for details.
Welcome
Welcome to Summer Work & Travel USA program - a unique, challenging and inspirational educational program. Imagine yourself taking up a position of Summer Work & Travel USA program. You have the knowledge and practical skills required to work in many different positions and succeed in a global economy. You understand and appreciate differences in cultures and beliefs, can work effectively in multicultural settings, can build consensus and successfully lead teams with people of different backgrounds. You celebrate diversity, place a high value on serving guests with understanding and respect, and have the capacity to create greater peace and prosperity in your workplace, your life and in the world.
This is the kind of person we imagined when we created our Summer Work & Travel USA program – a person of integrity, compassion, understanding and skill who appreciates and works effectively with people from all over the world, is valued by the industry and who makes a positive difference in the world.
You may ask “why is cultural understanding such an important part of my training?” Just take a look at the world around you! Every day millions of travelers cross continents to experience countries and people that are different from theirs. Every day people go to work in culturally diverse settings or talk to clients in faraway places, attempting to negotiate contracts or solve their problems. Every day we see news headlines about conflict and violence as a result of religious or cultural intolerance. On what do the successful outcomes of these scenarios depend? On an ability to understand other people and respect their cultures and beliefs, on being able to create consensus amongst diverse views and motivating and inspiring people to positive action for common goals, on being able to turn fear and conflict into peace and harmony.
It is these qualities that we focus on during your Summer Work & Travel USA program. As a “Cultural Ambassador” of your country, school, it is important for you and your fellow students to share and celebrate the varied traditions and cultures of your home countries thus fostering a spirit of international understanding and friendship as a first step in becoming a global leader. We ask you to participate fully and be willing to extend a hand of friendship and goodwill to all you meet with a big smile and an open heart. You have chosen a position that opens a whole new world full of richness and diversity – enjoy it, celebrate it, live it and share it in peace and in friendship!