Magnet — Student Work Placement Program

Funding for the Student Work Placement Program is designed to provide wage subsidies to employers offering quality work-integrated learning experiences. This is to encourage the hire of students and foster workplace readiness while supporting employers financially.

• Subsidy covers 50% of the wages for each net new placement, up to a maximum of $5,000.
• Enhanced subsidy of 70% of wages, up to $7,000, for net new placements involving students from underrepresented groups including women in STEM, Indigenous students, persons with disabilities, newcomers, and visible minorities, as well as first-year students.
• Subsidies are not eligible for combinations with other federal funding programs.

Employers must meet several criteria to be eligible for this grant.

• The employer must be a registered Canadian business or not-for-profit organization.
• The employer must be willing to provide a quality work-integrated learning experience to a post-secondary student.
• The employer must be committed to paying the student for the role and have the financial capacity to pay the student for the duration of the placement in full (the wage subsidy will be administered after receiving all supporting documentation, at the end of the placement).
• The employer must comply with all federal and provincial human rights and labour legislation, regulations, and any other relevant standards, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Employment Standards Act.
• Where legally required, the employer must be responsible for Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) or alternate workplace insurance coverage.
• The employer must not be a federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal government, hospital, public long-term care facility, crown corporation, post-secondary institution, financial institution, or non-secular institution (unless offering secular WIL opportunities).

Who is eligible?

Who is not eligible

Certain types of organizations are ineligible for the Student Work Placement Program funding. These restrictions ensure alignment with program goals and compliance with public funding guidelines.

• Federal, Provincial, Territorial and Municipal Governments
• Hospitals and public long-term care facilities
• Crown Corporations
• Post-Secondary Institutions
• Financial institutions
• Non-secular institutions (except for secular WIL opportunities)

Eligible expenses

The Student Work Placement Program supports initiatives that create quality work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for post-secondary students. Eligible projects focus on providing students with paid work experiences related to their fields of study.

• Offering co-op placements in alignment with academic programs.
• Facilitating internships that integrate practical experience with academic curricula.
• Organizing mentorship programs that enhance employability skills.
• Conducting applied research projects with active student involvement.
• Creating practicum opportunities within professional settings.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant is available for companies and organizations operating throughout Canada. The funding aims to connect post-secondary students with work-integrated learning opportunities across the country.

• Any registered Canadian business or not-for-profit organization operating within Canada's provinces and territories.

Evaluation and selection criteria for the Student Work Placement Program grant are:

• Demonstrated commitment to providing quality work-integrated learning experiences
• Financial capacity to pay the student for the duration of the placement
• Compliance with federal and provincial legislation and standards
• Recognition of placement as work-integrated learning

Here is a short summary of miscellaneous information about the grant:

• The subsidy can be combined with partial provincial funding but not with federal funding programs.
• Employers must follow provincial tax credit guidelines when stacking with provincial tax credits.
• Employers are responsible for workplace safety and insurance coverage.
• The program is administered on a first-come, first-served basis.