Closed
Cooperative Education Incentive
Wage assistance for university and college co-operative students in Nova Scotia
Last Update: March 3, 2026
Funding available
No Condition
Timeline
- Open Date : August 15, 2024
- Closing date : September 16, 2024
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
Overview
Employers that pay a minimum of $15 per hour plus 4% vacation pay can be reimbursed $7.50 per hour to a maximum of 40 hours per week.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop workforce skills
Eligible Funding
- No Condition
Timeline
- Open Date : August 15, 2024
- Closing date : September 16, 2024
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Nova Scotia
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Public or Parapublic institution
- For-profit business
- Social economy enterprise
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Youth (<40)
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Higher Education
- Employment and Training
- Children and Youth Organizations
- Diversity and Inclusion
Target groups
- Children & youth
- Young adults
- Academia / students
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- Municipal
- Provincial
Next steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
The Cooperative Education Incentive focuses on supporting employers who offer career-related work experiences for co-op students. Eligible activities primarily involve hiring and employing students for meaningful work placements.
- Hiring a co-operative education student for a 12 to 16-week work term.
- Providing career-related work experiences that align with the student’s co-op program requirements.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
Organizations eligible to apply for the Co-operative Education Incentive must be a private-sector company, a government-funded body, a non-profit or charitable organization, a social enterprise, or a municipality. These organizations must intend to hire a co-op education student for a work term of 12 to 16 weeks, offering full-time work that complies with the requirements of the student’s co-op program. Additionally, they should offer a wage of at least $18 per hour plus vacation pay to the student. The student must be enrolled in a co-operative education program at a Nova Scotia university or college.Who is not eligible
Some types of companies are not eligible for this grant. Eligibility criteria exclude the following types of organizations:
- Public-sector organizations
- Businesses not willing to hire a co-operative education student for a work term of 12 to 16 weeks
- Entities that do not pay the student at least $18 per hour (plus vacation pay) for full-time work
Eligible expenses
This grant supports activities that enable organizations to hire and integrate co-operative education students from Nova Scotia universities or colleges into their workforce for a specific period. The focus is on providing students with relevant work experiences related to their field of study.
- Hiring co-operative education students for work terms lasting 12 to 16 weeks.
- Providing career-related work opportunities that align with the students' co-op program requirements.
Eligible geographic areas
This grant is specifically for organizations hiring co-op education students from universities or colleges in Nova Scotia, Canada. Eligible areas are thus constrained to where these educational institutions are located.
- Organizations connected with Nova Scotia universities or colleges.
Additional information
Here are additional relevant details for this grant:
- The program provides a higher wage subsidy rate of $9.50 per hour for students who are members of designated diversity groups compared to the standard rate of $8.00 per hour.
- The student must work a minimum of 390 hours, and the program will reimburse up to 640 hours of work.
- If hiring co-op students in more than one county, separate applications must be submitted for each location.
- Documentation such as the organization's Registry of Joint Stocks number or equivalent legal documentation is required to apply.
- At the end of the program, a feedback survey is required from both the employer and the student.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Cooperative Education Incentive Program
Here are answers to the most common questions about the Cooperative Education Incentive. This section explains what the program is, how much funding is available, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and other important details to help you determine if this grant is right for your business.
What is the Cooperative Education Incentive?
Employers that pay a minimum of $15 per hour plus 4% vacation pay can be reimbursed $7.50 per hour to a maximum of 40 hours per week.
What is the deadline to apply?
The application deadline for this grant program was September 16, 2024.
Who is eligible for the Cooperative Education Incentive program?
To be eligible for the Cooperative Education Incentive program, you must:
The organization must be a private-sector, government-funded, non-profit or charitable organization, social enterprise or a municipality.
The organization must hire a co-operative education student for a work term of 12 to 16 weeks.
The organization must pay the student at least $18 per hour (plus vacation pay) for full-time work that meets the requirements of the student's co-op program.
What expenses are eligible under Cooperative Education Incentive?
The Cooperative Education Incentive focuses on supporting employers who offer career-related work experiences for co-op students. Eligible activities primarily involve hiring and employing students for meaningful work placements. Hiring a co-operative education student for a 12 to 16-week work term.
Providing career-related work experiences that align with the student’s co-op program requirements.
Who can I contact for more information about the Cooperative Education Incentive?
You can contact Government of Nova Scotia by email at yepinfo@novascotia.ca or by phone at 902-424-6000.
Where is the Cooperative Education Incentive available?
The Cooperative Education Incentive program is available the province of Nova Scotia.
Is the Cooperative Education Incentive a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Cooperative Education Incentive is a Wage Subsidies And Interns
