Cooperative Education Incentive

The Co-operative Education Incentive provides wage assistance to help employers engage university and college co-operative students in career-related work experiences. The financing modalities are structured to ensure employers receive adequate subsidies for hiring co-op students.

• Wage subsidy of $8 per hour provided for each student engaged through the program, increasing to $9.50 per hour if the student is from a designated diversity group.
• The subsidy covers wages for work up to 640 hours, with a minimum requirement of 390 hours per student work term.
• 32-week work terms may qualify for additional subsidy amounts as determined by specific educational program requirements, to be confirmed with a Co-op Coordinator.
• The compensation for students must be at least $18 per hour (including vacation pay), qualifying the employer for the subsidy.
• Program provides funds contingent on the student's enrollment in a co-operative education program at a designated Nova Scotia university or college.

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific requirements related to the type of organization and the nature of the co-operative education placement.

• The organization must be a private-sector, government-funded, non-profit or charitable organization, social enterprise, or a municipality.
• The organization wants to hire a co-operative education student for a work term of 12 to 16 weeks.
• The organization will pay the student at least $18 per hour (plus vacation pay).
• The employment offered must be full-time work that meets the requirements of the student’s co-op program.

Who is eligible?

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.

There are evaluation and selection criteria for the Co-operative Education Incentive (CO-OP) grant. These are:

• Organizations must be a private-sector, government-funded, non-profit, charitable organization, social enterprise, or municipality.
• Employers must pay the co-op student at least $18 per hour (plus vacation pay) for full-time work that meets the requirements of the student's co-op program.
• The student hired must be enrolled in a co-operative education program at a Nova Scotia university or college.

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.