ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways

Q: How much funding can be received?

ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $12000 per project.

Q: What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Q: Is the ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways a grant, loan, or tax credit?

ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways is a Wage Subsidies And Interns

Q: Who are the financial supporters of the ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways?

ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways is funded by ECO Canada

Q: Who is eligible for the ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways program?

To be eligible for the ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways program, you must: • The employer must be a small-medium sized organization. • The employer must be Canadian-owned or a Canadian subsidiary, municipal government, provincial or territorial government department, or Indigenous organization. • The offered position must be a new, permanent, and environmentally-related job.

Q: Where is the ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways available?

The ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways program is available across Canada.

Q: Are youth (under 40) eligible for the ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways program?

Yes, youth under 40 are eligible to apply for the ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways program.

Last Update: July 22, 2025

Canada

Get funding to hire youth professionals

At a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $12,000
Up to 50% of project cost

Timeline

Unspecified

Financing Type

Wage Subsidies And Interns

Eligible Industries

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

Funds Providers

ECO Canada

Program status

Open

Overview

Hire a part-time or full-time intern facing barriers and receive up to $12,000 to cover 50% of their salary, to develop their employability skills and obtain work experience that will prepare them to obtain and keep employment.

Financing terms and conditions

The Environmental Employability Pathways Program provides financial support to enhance youth employability in environmentally related roles. Employers benefit from wage subsidies, which facilitate the creation of new employment opportunities.

Eligible employers receive up to 50% wage coverage, with a maximum of $12,000 for each candidate's salary.
An additional potential of $2,000 is available for participant supports.
The funding covers full or part-time placements lasting from 6 weeks to 12 months.
Reports from both employers and candidates are required throughout the placement to qualify for the wage subsidy.

Activities funded

Subsidized wage funding for small to medium businesses hiring youth in new, permanent, environmentally-related positions.
Placement opportunities for youth aged 15-30 in environmentally focused roles.
Support for employers in recruiting and matching with pre-approved youth candidates.
Provision of funding coverage for both full-time and part-time placements lasting from six weeks up to twelve months.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 7,000

Hire an intern to enhance sustainable farming practices at an organic farm

$ 12,000

Hire a part-time intern to help develop an urban green space initiative

$ 6,000

Hire a part-time intern to support the development of a community recycling program

$ 12,000

Hire a full-time intern to develop sustainable waste management practices

$ 12,000

Hire a full-time intern to develop eco-friendly cleaning products

$ 12,000

Hire an intern to support the launch of an eco-friendly packaging initiative

Eligibility

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific criteria that employers must meet to be considered for funding.

The host employer must provide a new, permanent position that is environmentally-related.
Employers must be small-medium sized organizations.
Employers must be Canadian-owned or a Canadian subsidiary, municipal government, provincial or territorial government department, or Indigenous organizations.
Funding will cover full-time or part-time placements that are 6 weeks to 12 months long.

Who is eligible?

The Environmental Employability Pathways Program is designed for youth aged 15 to 30 who have faced barriers in accessing the labor market, specifically within environmentally-related roles. Candidates must hold Canadian citizenship, permanent residency, or refugee status. For employers, eligible participants are small-medium sized Canadian-owned organizations or subsidiaries, municipal, provincial or territorial governments departments, or Indigenous organizations that can provide new, permanent, environmentally-related positions.

Who is not eligible

There are specific types of companies that are not eligible for this grant:

Large organizations are not eligible for the grant.
Non-environmentally related businesses are not eligible for the grant.

Eligible expenses

Yes, eligible expenses for the Environmental Employability Pathways Program include participant salary support and participant supports of up to $2,000.

Participant salary support
Participant supports (up to $2,000)

Selection criteria

The Environmental Employability Pathways Program has evaluation and selection criteria that applicants must meet to qualify for funding.

Applicants must be aged 15-30 and focus on environmentally related roles.
Participants must hold Canadian citizenship, permanent residency status, or refugee status.
Employers must offer new, permanent, environmentally-related positions in small to medium-sized Canadian-owned organizations or entities.
Funding is available for full-time or part-time placements lasting 6 weeks to 12 months.

How to apply

Apply Online

Complete the eligibility assessment and application on the ECO Canada website.

Get Approved

Wait for an email notification to find out if you are pre-qualified to participate in the program.

Recruitment

Candidates and employers must independently find their own placement.
Utilize ECO Canada's Job Board as a resource for job postings and submitting resumes.

Secure Funding

Confirm a match between the employer and a pre-approved candidate.
Sign and return contract agreements within 15 days of issuance to secure funding.

Receive Funding

Fill out reports throughout the placement period to enable the employer to receive the wage subsidy.
Receive 50% wage coverage up to $12,000, plus potential supports for participants.

Additional information

Here are additional relevant details for the Environmental Employability Pathways Program:

This program is part of the government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) Program.
Both the employer and the candidate are required to fill out reports throughout the placement for the employer to receive the wage subsidy.
The program status is currently closed, and interested parties are encouraged to subscribe to ECO Canada’s newsletter for updates on future funding opportunities.
Program funding is aimed at supporting environmentally-related roles.
Participants in the program need to be between the ages of 15 to 30.

Apply to this program

Frequently Asked Questions about the ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways Program

Here are answers to the most common questions about the ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways. 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 ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways?

How much funding can be received?

What expenses are eligible under ECO Canada — Environmental Employability Pathways?

The Environmental Employability Pathways program facilitates the employment readiness for youth within Canada's labor market by supporting environmentally related roles and helping employers with wage subsidies. The program particularly targets creating new permanent positions for youth in the environmental sector. Subsidized wage funding for small to medium businesses hiring youth in new, permanent, environmentally-related positions. Placement opportunities for youth aged 15-30 in environmentally focused roles. Support for employers in recruiting and matching with pre-approved youth candidates. Provision of funding coverage for both full-time and part-time placements lasting from six weeks up to twelve months.