CAEP Participants
We put learning to work!

About CAEP

Who is CAEP?

For more than a quarter century, Communicating for Agriculture Education Programs (CAEP) has carried out the vision of giving young adults an opportunity to experience the world through agricultural exchange, while providing an opportunity for rural families to be touched by other cultures, resulting in lifelong friendships.
CAEP host businesses benefit from working with motivated and qualified trainees at an affordable rate.

CAEP’s technical capability, network of offices worldwide, and variety of programs enhances our stellar track record of success:

  • CAEP has a variety of program options available
  • CAEP has placed tens of thousands international interns
  • CAEP has International Offices connecting globally
  • CAEP has International Partners throughout the world
  • CAEP uses of state-of-the-art technology
  • CAEP has the highest rate of visa approval

How does CAEP Do It?

CAEP matches specific business needs of host companies with qualified applicants, who are looking for a paid international internship opportunity. Through CAEP offices around the world CAEP applicants are screened and matched with CAEP hosts based on criteria of rural and agricultural companies.  Based on the needs of the CAEP host and the skills that they offer CAEP participants, an effective training plan is specifically created, ensuring that mutual expectations are met from both parties.

CAEP fosters a mutually beneficial relationship between CAEP host and CAEP trainee. Let us put learning to work for you today!

Become a CAEP Business Partner

CAEP is an organization that brings people from all over the world together to travel, learn and earn. Tens of thousands of participants have experienced life with our host families and businesses all around the world. After completing a CAEP program, many CAEP participants have found careers in agriculture and run large farms, nurseries, wineries and horse operations in their respective countries.

The CAEP Business Model

CAEP works with CAEP Partners* to recruit young people to come on a CAEP program. These CAEP participants come to the U.S. and other CAEP host countries for 3 to 12 months to “learn and earn” with a CAEP host company.

*Partners is collectively, CAEP Recruiters, CAEP Country Offices, and CAEP Country Partners.

As a CAEP Partner, you have access to our online systems for worldwide application processing, marketing, presentation, technology assistance in building your market, financial assistance programs, and opportunities to develop a hosting business in your own country for worldwide participants.

Become a CAEP Educational Partner

CAEP's slogan is "We Put Learning to Work".  It says it all.  CAEP partners with educational institutions worldwide to fulfill the practical "hands-on" component of the learning process.  We are not an accredited educational institution.  Rather, we are the link to take educational curriculum and tie into real-world skills development to better prepare an individual for their career.  CAEP provides three ways to partner with academic institutions:

1.    Current CAEP Participants Pursuing an Educational Experience. Through CA,  J-1 authorization, CAEP places an individual who qualifies as an accredited student in a post-secondary institution in their own country, into a "work and learn" experience.  A minimum of the first half of their potential 12 month stay can be in a work/training program.  The remaining half can be attending school.  CAEP acts as an "educational advisor" and matches the current J-1 participants to the best school in their geographic, interest, or pre-chosen institution.  CAEP handles all applications, course chooses, and payments on behalf of the applicant.

2.    Institutions looking to provide International Experiences. CAEP has been in the training and work visa business for over two decades with tens of thousands of participants.  CAEP has a global network of employers and partners who can place your students into an internship placement in many countries spanning the globe.  For schools that are looking to outsource or enhance their "International Presence", CAEP can handle recruitment and placement for your institution.

3.    Sandwich Programs for Institutions with an Internship Component. CAEP has contacts with academic institutions worldwide. We can manage your "sandwich" program by getting you in contact with our worldwide network of offices that work daily with educational institutions in their country to build you International Educational experience.  CAEP will include our own vocational internship component into the International experience. CAEP uses a sophisticated tracking tool, ("Skillability") to map the participant's educational objectives to the skills that will be practiced and mastered on the job.  These skills are employer generated and endorsed by international skill standards for curriculum vitae.  In the United States, the skills are recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor as the CA National Skills Standards.  CAEP's unique approach takes each employer's skills and maps it back to the curriculum objectives of the originating school and the destination school. This positions CAEP as a strong partner in showing the educational institution's curriculum is tied to relevant skills need by today's employers around the globe.

There are three levels of partnership with CAEP:

CAEP Recruiter

A CAEP Recruiter is an individual, who wishes to register with CAEP directly, and/or CAEP and a CAEP Country Office for the purpose of selling CAEP products.

CAEP Country Office

A CAEP Country Office promotes CAEP services exclusively and has the right to all CAEP brands, assigned territories, marketing assistance, and special programs (ie financing from CAEP).

CAEP Country Partner

A Country Partner is an existing independent business who receives special pricing from CAEP for CAEP services and who provides CAEP services in conjunction with other vendor’s products and services.

If you are interested in becoming a Partner with CAEP, please contact us:

Send an email to info@caep.org with more information about your organization and why you are interested in partnering with CAEP.  The CAEP main office phone number is: +1-218-739-3241.

Information for Embassies

Three organizations make up the CA family of educational programs:

Communicating for America is the parent, non-profit organization with tens of thousands of farmers, ranchers and small business members across the United States and abroad.  The members are the hosts and our participants.  The CA organization has been promoting rural education, training, legislation and health care for close to half of a century.

Communicating for Agriculture Scholarship and Education Foundation has awarded over $2.5 million in scholarships to young people worldwide. And the foundation is the registered entity with the U.S. Department of State for J-1 visas.

CAEP administrates the training and internship programs on behalf of the Foundation.

CA has been a long-time adviser to the U.S. Department of State regarding regulatory issues for J-1 visas and has received high marks from Congress for our efforts to promote agriculture education:
“Mr. Speaker, CA has also been a strong supporter of the education of young people in providing the opportunity to train and experience life and personal growth overseas.  Today, CA Education Programs has become the largest program of its kind in the country.”

Collin Peterson – Member of the House Agriculture Committee.

Every winery, farm, ranch, nursery, business or other host business, as well as trainees and interns, are members of CA.  This means that our host companies have a long term commitment of involvement with our organization, not just as a host to interns, but also as a member of our rural advocacy organization.

CAEP has State -of-the-art applicant processing:  All candidates of CAEP programs are screened via video conferencing by CAEP.  CAEP candidates complete all applications online, have all documents and contracts processed online, and all communication archived for auditing purposes and immediate retrieval.

Communicating for America (CA)

In 1972, Communicating for America (CA) started as a small group of dairy farmers in  west central Minnesota. Today CA has tens of thousands of agriculture and small business members across the United States, and close to half a century of legislative accomplishments on behalf of our members. From helping to form the first state high-risk pool for the medically uninsurable in Minnesota in 1976, to the first beginning farmer loan program in Iowa in 1980, to forming its own international agriculture exchange program in 1985,  to  receiving the first Agriculture Apprenticeship designation granted by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2007. CA was founded to promote the general health, welfare and advancement of people in agriculture or small business, and after close to half of a century of service to rural America, that mission continues to drive CA today. For more information please www.communicatingforamerica.org.

CA Foundation

The Communicating for Agriculture Scholarships and Education Foundation is authorized by the U.S. State Department to sponsor visas on behalf of the United State Government under the J1 category of Internship and Trainees. The Foundation provides emerging leaders in rural communities scholarships for educational advancement - both here at home and abroad. Headed by leaders from all over the country, the Foundation helps cultivate new globally minded citizens through education and travel. The Foundation has awarded millions of dollars to young Americans striving to obtain their career dreams. Scholarships benefit a wide range of young people in the fields of nursing, agriculture, and other studies or who want to train in a field where the benefit of practical skill development can be taken back to their communities. The CA Foundation takes a "world view" that young people should be encouraged to visit countries with businesses that have global presence to develop global work skills. For more information please www.cafoundation.com.