What is the PIP?
Every year, the PIP welcomes 10 young professionals to Parliament Hill from September through June. The PIP is a paid, non-partisan internship in which interns are selected through a national competition.
What does an intern do?
Each intern works full-time for both an opposition and government Member of Parliament. During their internship, Parliamentary interns meet with senior policymakers, diplomats, journalists, scholars, politicians, and leaders in civil society. The interns take part in academic seminars, write an innovative academic research paper, share their knowledge of Parliament with young Canadians, and take part in legislative study tours to Québec, Brussels, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Nunavut.
Who is eligible to apply?
The PIP is open to all candidates who, at the start date of the internship hold Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status, hold at least one university or college degree (a CEGEP diploma alone is insufficient), and are available to work full-time from September to July.
How do I apply?
Eligible candidates must apply using the online PIP application system. Each candidate will be asked to submit the following documents to support their application: 1.) A personal Statement: Candidates must describe in 400 words or less how they anticipate contributing to and benefiting from the Programme. 2.) Transcripts: Candidates must upload accurate copies of each transcript (official or unofficial). Candidates chosen to participate in the Programme will be required to provide original hard copies of all official transcripts with identical information to that uploaded before receiving a letter of offer. 3.) Contact information for letters of reference: Candidates must provide contact information for at least two referees who have agreed to write confidential letters of reference in support of their application. One referee must be academic and one must be from an employer. 4.) Candidates will also be asked to provide the following information: Contact details, education, grants and scholarships, employment experience, extracurricular and volunteer activities.
Is there a stipend?
Yes! Interns receive a $24,000 stipend for a period of ten months (September to June). The program is piloting an initiative to partially reimburse the interns’ moving costs to Ottawa. Their travel, accommodation and per diem costs will be provided during comparative study tours to Québec City, Brussels, the United Kingdom, Washington, and Iqaluit. Please note that there are no social or medical benefits provided with the stipend and no taxes deducted at source. The demands of the Programme make it impossible for interns to accept outside employment during the internship.
Where can I find more information on the PIP?
For more information, visit https://pip-psp.org/whypip/.