Thinking of hiring a student?
You may be eligible to receive up to $7,000 in wage subsidies! Check out the 10 employer delivery partners below. Access this funding for your next co-op hire!
As part of the Government of Canada's Student Work Placement Program (SWPP), formerly known as the Student Work-Integrated Learning Program (SWILP), 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.
SWPP wage subsidy amount
Through SWPP, organizations within Canada that offer full-time employment opportunities between 12-16 weeks for full-time Canadian post-secondary students can receive wage subsidies:
- up to 50% of the wage cost for the placement (up to a maximum of $5,000 per placement) per student OR
- up to 70% (up to a maximum of $7,000 per placement) for under-represented students including first-year students, women in STEM, indigenous students, persons with disabilities and newcomers.
How can you access this funding to hire co-op?
There are a total of 9 delivery partner organizations that help distribute this funding.
You can apply for this funding through the SWPP delivery partners. Check out the info below!
General eligibility requirements
- Employers can hire students in any program (i.e.: Arts, Business, Science...etc.)
- However, students must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or a person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of employment to qualify for funding from SWPP
- Provincial and territorial governments are NOT eligible for SWPP funding
- Positions must be net new to qualify for SWPP funding (i.e.: positions over and above what employers hired last year at the same time)
All SWPP delivery partner info
Information updated: Friday, February 7, 2020
*NEW* Magnet Student Work Placement
For registered Canadian business or non-profits
| Amount: | Up to $5,000 - $7,000 per student (50-70% wage subsidies). 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: |
Any registered Canadian business or non-profit organizations. Municipal governments are not eligible for funding. Click here to see more info about terms, conditions and eligibility |
|
| How to apply: |
Employers MUST have a candidate before applying. |
|
| Application deadline |
Applications for Winter 2020 are open until April 30, 2020. Applications for Summer 2020: coming soon! |
|
| Contact | swpp@magnet.today |
Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) – Empowering Futures
For employers within the electrical power sector
| Amount: | Up to $5,000 - $7,000 per student (50-70% wage subsidies). 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: |
Click here to see more info about terms, conditions and eligibility |
|
| 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:
Employers DO NOT need to have a candidate before applying. Employers can be pre-approved for funding for 30 days. |
|
| Application deadline |
Applications are now open! |
|
| Contact | Sarah Jourson, Project Coordinator Phone: (613) 235-5540 ext. 229 Email: jourson@electricityhr.ca |
Information Technology Association of Canada – Career Ready Program (ITAC)
For employers within the information and communications technology sector or have related projects
NEW! Government of Canada Announces funding for additional wage subsidies for cyber and AI placements.
The Government of Canada has expanded the Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) to specifically focus on placements in cyber security and AI. Funding is available starting Winter 2019 to Winter 2020. For more information contact careerready@itac.ca
| Amount: | Up to $5,000 - $7,000 per student (50-70% wage subsidies). 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: |
Organizations in Canada looking for employees with skills in the field of Information and Communications Technology. Positions you are hiring for can fall under the following categories: 1) Business Technology Management, 2) Computer Science, 3) Computer Systems Technology, 4) Computer Engineering. Municipal governments are eligible for funding. |
| How to apply: | Complete the online Employer Eligibility Assessment and submit it with the necessary documentation.
To access the application portal, please visit ITAC's website. Employers NEED to have a candidate before applying. Only applicants that are able to submit information about the job and the student will be considered. |
| Application deadline |
Winter 2020 applications (January – April): open October 16 – March 1, 2020 Applications for Summer 2020 (Mary - August): open February 18, 2020 |
| Contact |
Jan Hall (ON and Western provinces) Marc Andre Leger (QC and the Atlantic provinces) General inquiries: careerready@itac.ca |
Information and Communication Technology Council – WIL Digital Subsidy
For employers within the technology sector or have related projects
| Amount: | Up to $5,000 - $7,000 per student (50-70% wage subsidies). 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: | Eligibility requirements include:
|
| How to apply: |
Visit ICTC's WIL Digital Program site to create an account to apply. Employers NEED to have a candidate before applying. Funding needs to be approved before the student starts their placement. |
| Application deadline |
Applications for Summer 2020 are now open. |
| Contact |
Canadian Council for Aerospace and Aviation
For employers within the aerospace and aviation industry
| Amount: | Up to $5,000 - $7,000 per student (50-70% wage subsidies). 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: | Organizations in Canada working in the aerospace and aviation industry (cannot be a research position in a school lab). |
| How to apply: | Complete and submit the employer application online: Employer Information Form - Student Work Integrated Learning Program
Don't have a candidate in mind? You can post your job on WaterlooWorks. Employers NEED to have a candidate before applying. |
| Application deadline | Applications are now open! |
| Contact | Theresa Davis-Woodhouse Phone: (613) 727-8272 ext. 247 Email: tdaviswoodhouse@avaerocouncil.ca |
Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) of Canada – Co-op Program
For employers in Canada
| Amount: | Up to $5,000 - $7,000 per student (50-70% wage subsidies). 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: | 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. |
| How to apply: |
Complete the form for "Host employers" on ECO Canada Wage Subsidy Program page. Employers NEED to have a candidate before applying. Funding needs to be approved before the student starts their placement. |
| Application deadline | Applications are now open! |
| Contact | swilp@eco.ca |
BioTalent Canada
For employers within the biotechnology industry or have related projects
| Amount: | Up to $5,000 - $7,000 per student (50-70% wage subsidies). 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: | Organizations in Canada looking to hire for roles related to biotechnology.
Please visit Biotalent Canada's website for full eligibility requirements. |
| How to apply: |
Through their website, download and fill out the "SWPP Employer Application Package". Employers NEED to have a candidate before applying. Employers must hire the student first and once a candidate is identified they will apply for funding however the candidate cannot start their co-op until approval has been granted. It can take up to 10 business days to process an application. |
| Application deadline | Applications for all co-op placements starting before March 2021 are now being accepted. |
| Contact |
Mary at 1-866-243-2472, ext. 222 or mcarr@biotalent.ca Colleen at 1-866-243-2472, ext. 221 or chayes@biotalent.ca |
Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) – Gearing Up
For employers within the mining sector or have related projects
| Amount: | up to $5,000 - $7,000 per student (50-70% wage subsidies). 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: | 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 to gearingup@mihr.ca. Applicants will know within 24 hours if their organization has been approved. Once approved, your organization will:
More information can be found on the Gearing Up applicant guide or on their Gearing Up Program page. Employers DO NOT need to have a candidate before applying. |
| Application deadline | Ongoing |
| Contact | Jennifer Wright Email: jwright@mihr.ca |
Toronto Finance International (TFI) - ASPIRE
For employers within the financial services sector
| Amount: | Please note that ASPIRE does not offer any wage subsidies for employers.
ASPIRE offers a variety of resources including best practice guidance, student attractment support, brand building opportunities and industry/academic partnerships. |
|---|---|
| Eligibility/Who Can Apply: | Organizations in Canada working in the financial services sector, including:
|
| How to apply: |
Request more information and apply on the ASPIRE Employer page. Employers DO NOT need to have a candidate before applying. |
| Application deadline | Ongoing |
| Contact | Phone: (416) 933-6780 Email: aspire@tfi.ca |
Venture for Canada - Internship Program
For startups or related entrepreneurial projects and innovation in Atlantic Canada, British Columbia and the Prairies
| Amount: | Up to $5,000 - $7,000 per student (50-70% wage subsidies). 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. Employers DO NOT need to have a candidate before applying. |
| Application deadline | Ongoing |
| Contact | Gina Patterson Email: gina@ventureforcanada.com Erica Ormiston |
