Join the conversation...
@HireWaterloo on Twitter
As part of the Government of Canada's Student Work Placement Program (SWPP), a variety of funding opportunities are available for employers to hire students for the purposes of experiential learning. This funding is being administered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) through the following delivery partners.
The Government of Canada's Student Work Placement Program has announced changed to SWPP funding beginning April 1, 2022. These changes include:
NOTE: Some exceptions may apply if you will be engaging a student as an independent contractor.
Tips for employers looking to hire:
This guide provides you with a general assessment of eligibility.
If you meet the following requirements, you will likely be eligible for SWPP funding.
The employer is:
The student is:
Remember that final decisions lie with the SWPP funding partners. This is to provide employers with a guideline only
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000).
Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Organizations in Canada looking to hire for roles related to biotechnology and healthcare.
Click here for more information about terms, conditions and eligibilty of BioTalent Canada |
How to apply: | Through their website, download and fill out the "SWPP Employer Application Package"
NOTES:
|
Application deadline: | Check the BioTalent website for application deadlines |
Contact: | Benita Email: buruhisho@biotalent.ca Colleen Hannah |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000).
Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Any Canadian organization related to agricultural, such as food growers to retailers, nursery, horticulture, and ag-tech firms, are eligible to apply under this program. |
How to apply: | Start the application process for CAHRC funding! |
Application deadline: | Check the CAHRC website for application deadlines |
Contact: | info@cahrc-ccrha.ca |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000).
Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Organizations in Canada working in the aerospace and aviation industry (cannot be a research position in a school lab).
Click here for more information about terms, conditions and eligibility of Canadian Council for Aerospace and Aviation. |
How to apply: | Complete and submit the employer application online: Employer Information Form - Student Work Integrated Learning Program of Canadian Council for Aerospace and Aviation
Don't have a candidate in mind? You can post your job on WaterlooWorks. NOTES: Employers NEED to have a candidate before applying. |
Application deadline: | Check the Canadian Council for Aerospace and Aviation's website for application deadlines |
Contact: | Kethy S-K Sangaré Phone: (613) 727-8272, ext. 261 Email: ksossokolle@avaerocouncil.ca |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: |
|
How to apply: | Start the application process for CMPA funding! |
Application deadline: | Check the CMPA website for application deadlines |
Contact: | Sarolta Csete Email: sarolta.csete@cmpa.ca |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Organizations in Canada within the cultural sector, both for-profit and non-for-profit. This includes:
Federal, provincial, municipal and territorial governments are not eligible. |
How to apply: |
On their website, fill out the "CHRC Student Work Placement Program Employer Request Intake Form"
Information package of CHRC also has some helpful details. |
Application deadline: | Check the CHRC website for application deadlines |
Contact: |
Email: info@culturalhrc.ca
|
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
|
---|---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: |
Click here for more information about terms, conditions and eligibility of EHRC. |
|
How to apply: | To qualify for the program, the company must be Canadian owned or a Canadian subsidiary and are part of the economic sector represented by:
NOTES:
|
|
Application deadline: | Check the EHRC website for application deadlines | |
Contact: | Sarah Jourson, Project Coordinator Phone: (613) 235-5540 ext. 229 Email: jourson@electricityhr.ca |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Organizations in Canada that are looking to hire students from science, technology, engineering, arts or mathematics (STEAM). Work terms must be at least 6 weeks long. Funding can be applied to part-time students as well as co-op students.
Click here for more information about terms, conditions and eligibility of ECO. |
How to apply: | Complete the form for "Host employers" of ECO on ECO Canada Wage Subsidy Program page.
NOTES:
|
Application deadline: | Check the ECO website for application deadlines |
Contact: | coop@eco.ca |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% (up to a maximum of $7,000) of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Work placements should be relevant to manufacturing and related sectors. |
How to apply: | Apply for EMC (Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium). |
Application deadline: | Check the Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium website for application deadlines |
Contact: | Wendy Gray, Senior Project Coordinator Phone: 1-519-377-5709 Email: wgray@emccanada.org |
Amount: | The subsidy will cover up to 50% of each eligible intern's gross salary, for a maximum of $5000 per student. Up to 70% of the gross salary for each first-year intern or intern classified within an under-represented group, up to a maximum of $7000. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Eligibility for Accueillez un stagaire |
How to apply: | Apply for Accueillez un stagaire |
Application deadline: | See Accueillez un stagaire deadlines |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Work placements should be relevant to food and beverage manufacturing and related sectors. |
How to apply: | Click here for more details on how to apply for FPSC. |
Application deadline: | Check the FPSC website for application deadlines |
Contact: | Jennifer Brown, Project Manager Email: jbrown@fpsc-ctac.com Tiffany Gelvez, Project Specialist |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Eligibility requirements include:
|
How to apply: | Visit ICTC's WIL Digital Program site to create an account to apply.
NOTES:
|
Application deadline: | Check the ICTC website for application deadlines |
Contact: | wil_digital@ictc-ctic.ca |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Organizations in Canada (small and large companies/post-secondary institutions/non-profit organizations) working in the mining or mineral exploration sectors are encouraged to apply. |
How to apply: | Organizations must fill out and submit the Gearing Up Application Form of MiHR to gearingup@mihr.ca. Applicants will know within 10 days if their organization has been approved. Once approved, your organization will:
More information can be found on the MiHR's Gearing Up applicant guide or on MiHR's Gearing Up Program page. NOTES: Employers DO NOT need to have a candidate before applying. |
Application deadline: | Check the MiHR website for application deadlines |
Contact: |
Priya |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Eligibility requirements include:
|
How to apply: | Click here for more details on how to apply for Ontario Chamber of Commerce. |
Application deadline: | Check the Ontario Chamber of Commerce's website for application deadlines |
Contact: | top@occ.ca |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Registered Canadian businesses and non-profits who can provide a meaningful, tech-focused work placement opportunity to a student.
Students must work in a role that is tech immersive - although they are not required to be studying something in tech. International students are not eligible for funding. Large financial sector employers and municipal governments are no longer eligible for funding. |
How to apply: | Complete the online Employer Eligibility Assessment of ITAC and submit it with the necessary documentation.
To access the application portal, please visit Technation's website. NOTES:
|
Application deadline: | Check the ITAC website for application deadlines |
Contact: | careerready@technationcanada.ca |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000).
Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Registered Canadian businesses, startups, and not-for-profits related to the travel, tourism, and hospitality sector. |
How to apply: | Start the THRC application process Here! |
Application deadline: | Check the THRC website for application deadlines |
Contact: | propel@tourismhr.ca |
Amount: | Funding will cover up to 50% of a student’s wage (up to a maximum of $5,000). Students hired from under-represented groups are eligible for a subsidy of up to 70% of wages subsidized. |
---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Any Canadian business in the transport and logistics industry, as well as those who have a large logistics component in their business (e.g. private fleets) or work primarily with the logistics industry (e.g. supply chain-specific solutions providers). |
How to apply: | Submit your application to Trucking HR Canada. Applicants will know within 10 business days whether their organization has been approved. Once approved, your organization will:
NOTE: Employers DO NOT need to have a candidate before applying. |
Application deadline: | Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for both the current and upcoming academic term. |
Contact: | theteam@truckinghr.com |
Amount: | Up to $7,000 is specifically available for under-represented groups including women in STEM, Indigenous students, newcomers, and persons with disabilities, as well as first-year students. | |
---|---|---|
Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Employers must:
All industries welcome! Employers can be from a wide range of industries from agriculture to robotics and anything in between. |
|
How to apply: | To join this program and access this funding, complete the application form on the Venture for Canada website.
NOTES: Employers DO NOT need to have a candidate before applying. |
|
Application deadline: | Check the Venture of Canada website for application deadlines | |
Contact: | Click here to send an email to Venture for Canada. |
A tip to maximize your funding
We've taken questions that we know our employers are asking and have consulted with our experts at Co-operative and Experiential Education to provide some helpful answers.
No limit is set, however since funding is limited, SWPP partners reserve the right to limit your intake.
Net New refers to growing the number of students you hire each year and represents the number of work placement subsidies you are eligible for.
Net new is determined by subtracting the number of students your company is intending to hire (forecast) in the current fiscal year, including those already hired, from the number of students hired by your company in a fiscal year prior to first participating in this program (baseline).
For example, if your company hired 3 students in the fiscal year (April 1 – March 31) prior to applying for funding, 3 is your baseline. Then, your company must intend to hire at least 4 students in your forecast of hires within that fiscal year to qualify for 1 subsidy to support the increase.
Forecast – baseline = net new student placements eligible for wage subsidy
No, the program is only open to students with Canadian citizenship, permanent residents, or refugees with the right to work in Canada.
Yes. Provided that the student meets all the eligibility criteria, the student can work remotely.
Possibly. However, SWPP partners prefer to subsidize students who are employees of the employer and may decline an application for a student hired as an independent contractor. Contact the SWPP partner for more information.
Yes. You may stack provincial funding with SWPP funding but not other forms of federal funding. For example: if you’ve already received NSERC funding for your co-op student, you will not be eligible for SWPP funding.
You may stack provincial funding with SWPP funding but not other forms of federal funding.
For example: if you’ve already received NSERC funding for your co-op student, you will not be eligible for SWPP funding.
You cannot stack SWPP funding with other forms of federal funds. If a student’s wage is partially funded by federal funds, the remaining wage is not eligible for SWPP funding.
SWPP cannot be calculated on a portion of a student’s wage when some of that wage is federally funded.
Join the conversation...
@HireWaterloo on Twitter
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.