Explore a career with the Government of Canada

Ottawa government buildings

As a co-op student, working for the Government of Canada offers an exciting chance to kickstart your career while making a real difference in people’s lives. Find a career path that matches your passion with diverse job opportunities.

You’ll be part of a workplace that celebrates diversity and inclusion, ensuring everyone feels respected and valued. With positions available across the country, and even globally, you will have great work-life balance and access to various career development opportunities. Join a large, national community of students and discover if a fulfilling career in government is right for you!

Applying to the Government of Canada

Eligibility

Co-op jobs posted on WaterlooWorks by the Government of Canada are open to all co-op students, in all faculties and year of study.

The Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) is open to all students (co-op and regular stream) returning to full-time studies in the next academic term. You can find FSWEP job opportunities on the Government of Canada website and might qualify co-op credit as an Arrange Own Job (AOJ) work term.

Preference is given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who meet the job requirements. Additionally, some departments can only hire Canadian citizens. These requirements will be indicated in the job posting on WaterlooWorks or the FSWEP recruitment page.

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Job locations

Students work across the country for the Government of Canada. Most jobs are in Ottawa, followed by the Greater Toronto Area. Learn more about job locations on WaterlooWorks job postings.

Most co-op work arrangements are hybrid, requiring a minimum of three days in the office (though this may vary depending on role and department).

Salary

The Government of Canada uses a pay grid to determine salary for co-op students. The pay grid indicates seven steps for undergraduate students. However, this does not always align with the co-op work term number.

Learn more about Government of Canada Student Rates of Pay.

Language requirements

Typically, student jobs are unilingual English/French, though knowledge of French can be an asset in certain roles.

How to apply

The Government of Canada posts jobs on WaterlooWorks under specific departments (i.e., Environment and Climate Change Canada) and students apply using traditional co-op processes.

To access the Full-Cycle Service job board navigate to Co-op Jobs in the WaterlooWorks menu and select Full-Cycle Service.

Some employers post co-op opportunities in advance of the recruiting term on the Employer-Student Direct job board.

To access the Employer-Student Direct job board navigate to Co-op Jobs in the WaterlooWorks menu and select Employer-Student Direct.

Students who apply through the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) posted on the Government of Canada website can submit their position for co-op credit by following the Arrange Own Job (AOJ) process.

Sample job titles

Faculty of Arts
  • Policy analyst
  • Communications specialist
  • Economist/Analyst
  • HR assistant
Faculty of Engineering
  • Building science technologist
  • Co-op student - spent electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries
  • Renewable and electrical energy co-op
  • Structure & materials performance laboratory co-op student
Faculty of Environment
  • GIS assistant
  • Junior environmental analyst
  • Species at risk analyst
  • Remote sensing - geomatics research assistant
Faculty of Health
  • Junior regulatory affairs officer
  • Policy advisor
  • Digital communications advisor
  • Strategic partnership co-op student
Faculty of Mathematics

Python deep learning programmer

Mobile and web application developer

Data analyst

Junior statistician-mathematician
Faculty of Science

Microbial genomics research assistant

Atmospheric boundary layer research assistant

Quantum photonics research student

Synthetic chemist co-op student

Sample projects

Explore projects in the Government
  • Inserting Canadian values into our use of artificial intelligence.
  • Unlocking the potential of open data.
  • Managing Canada’s largest technology operation.
  • Enabling secure access to online services through trusted digital identities.
  • Developing the Government’s first digital policy.
  • Developing the Government of Canada’s first voice activated service.
  • Prototyping secure data exchange platforms.
  • Developing innovative and citizen-centric approaches to service delivery.
  • Making it easier for Canadians to request government information.

Working for the Government of Canada

Confirmation of enrolment

Government of Canada hiring managers require a confirmation of enrolment document as part of the hiring process after you have been matched with a job.

CEE provides this document to employers and students. Your confirmation of enrolment is available for download on WaterlooWorks. You do not need to get confirmation of enrolment from the Registrar’s Office.

Security clearance levels

All Government of Canada co-op roles require a security clearance. Most jobs require a reliability status security clearance level. However, some roles may require secret or top secret security clearance level. Security clearance requirements are noted in WaterlooWorks job descriptions.

A security clearance can take anywhere from four to eight weeks of processing time, depending on various factors. It is very important to complete all security clearance documents and tasks as soon as possible so you can start your work term on time.

You can find these clearance documents and tasks by following this process:

Rank/match > match > documents > fingerprinting > security clearance > offer letter

Once you have received confirmation of security clearance, you will receive an offer letter. This will indicate your co-op work term start date.

Government of Canada – security clearance levels

Fingerprinting

Public Services and Procurement Canada's (PSPC) Contract Security Program (CSP) conducts criminal record checks, which require fingerprinting. Some Government of Canada roles will require you to complete a criminal record check, which includes fingerprinting.

A security clearance can take anywhere from four to eight weeks of processing time, depending on various factors. It is very important to complete all security clearance documents and tasks as soon as possible so you can start your work term on time.

Fingerprinting locations:

International students

International students are invited to apply to Government of Canada opportunities however, preference is given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who meet the job requirements. There might be additional requirements for international students due to the limited time between hiring and starting the co-op work term.

A security clearance can take anywhere from four to eight weeks of processing time, depending on various factors. It is very important to complete all security clearance documents and tasks as soon as possible so you can start your work term on time.

Post-graduate work opportunities

Students hired through government student programs such as co-op or FSWEP can be re-hired in subsequent semesters and after graduation. The student bridging mechanism facilitates the hiring of students into positions anywhere in the federal public service after completing the Waterloo degree. If hired as a student, you could be bridged into a temporary or permanent position.

Learn about student experiences with government positions