Talk to anyone who's been on an exchange and you'll generally get a very positive response. An exchange can be a career and life highlight (IPSP 2004). An international staff exchange assists park agencies to develop organisational capacity and capability, and ultimately helps to develop employees and the organisation.

How will an exchange help me?

An exchange will require considerable effort, commitment and adaptability from exchangees. However, the rewards are considerable:

• Career development
• Learning your work supports a bigger picture
• Build international relationships
• Review, think and learn about new challenges
• Reflect and re-evaluate the challenges in your job position
• Refreshing and reinvigorating
• Developing insights and cultural understanding
• Sharing skills and experiences
• Influence the thinking and behaviour of yourself and others
• An adventure for the family and a chance to grow together

How will the exchange help my organisation?

• Foster professional development for individuals with potential for accelerated learning
• develop individual and organisational capability
• Reinvigorate existing staff to develop their skills further, shift thinking and rebuild enthusiasm
• Facilitate and share knowledge and best practice between agencies
• Build industry relationships that enable the transfer of skills, experience and knowledge both now and into the future
• Build each participating agency's reputation as an employer of choice

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In a review of the Parks Victoria and Parks Canada exchange programme all staff interviewed felt that the exchange programme was probably the best of all possible development options. … Both supervisors and participants felt that their future careers would benefit. Some who had been relatively satisfied at their current levels for some years reported that they felt more ready to seek more responsible positions.

All participants felt an increase of self-confidence, of creativity in considering possible solutions to problems, of sensitivity to the challenges faced by staff new to a job and location.

From the Initial Findings Parks Canada-Parks Victoria Exchange Program

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