Closed
Last Update: April 9, 2026
Funding available
$ 9,600
Timeline
- Open Date : December 15, 2025
- Closing date : January 31, 2026
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
Overview
This program provides wage subsidies for non-profit, charitable, and social enterprise organizations hiring post-secondary students for summer jobs. It also offers higher support for eligible work-integrated learning placements, with up to $10.50 per hour reimbursed under regular SKILL and $11.50 per hour for designated diversity groups.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase social or community impact
- Attract or retain talent
- Develop workforce skills
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 9,600 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
Timeline
- Open Date : December 15, 2025
- Closing date : January 31, 2026
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Nova Scotia
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Public or Parapublic institution
- Social economy enterprise
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Persons with Disabilities
- Other Racialized Persons
- Black Canadians
- Youth (<40)
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Employment and Training
- Grant-making Foundations
- Children and Youth Organizations
- Diversity and Inclusion
Target groups
- Nonprofits / charities
- Academia / students
Revenue structures
- 100% donations / grants
Scope
- Provincial
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Hiring post-secondary students for summer jobs
- Hiring students in co-op, internship, or other work-integrated learning placements
- Offering jobs that build transferable skills related to a student’s studies
Documents Needed
- LaMPSS application access
- Organization registration number or charity number
- Position description and task breakdown
- Written confirmation for SKILL-WIL placements
- Student Information Form and Pay Declaration after hiring
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Not-for-profit organizations
- Registered charities
- Social enterprises
Who is not eligible
- Businesses that are not non-profit, charitable, or social enterprise organizations
- Employers already receiving other government employment funding for the same position
Eligible expenses
- Student wages for eligible summer work terms
- Wage support for eligible work-integrated learning placements
- Advance funding of up to 60% of approved support
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Positions already funded by another government employment program
- Jobs that are mainly manual labour, such as cleaning or groundskeeping
Eligible geographic areas
- Nova Scotia
- Separate applications are required for positions in different counties
Selection criteria
- Quality and challenge of the work
- Proposed wage
- Employer’s track record with SKILL and similar programs
- Community impact and provincial distribution of opportunities
- Commitment to diversity and employment equity
How to apply
- Step 1: Create or access a LaMPSS account
- Register or sign in to the online system.
- Use the program application portal to begin.
- Step 2: Complete the application
- Enter the organization number and contact person.
- Describe the organization and each position.
- Provide the task breakdown for the job.
- Step 3: Submit the application
- Submit online through LaMPSS.
- File a separate application for each county if needed.
- Step 4: After approval and hiring
- Hire the student and send the Student Information Form.
- For SKILL-WIL, send proof the placement counts for the program.
- Sign the funding agreement in LaMPSS.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed after the intake period closes.
- Program staff assess the position, wage, employer track record, community impact, diversity commitment, and available funding.
- Decisions are normally sent in March by email.
- If approved, the employer must sign a funding agreement in LaMPSS.
- After the student is hired, the employer must submit required forms before payment is confirmed.
Additional information
- The program is administered by Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration.
- Applications are normally reviewed in March after the intake closes.
- Approved employers are contacted by email and receive an agreement number.
- A separate application is required for positions in different counties.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Student Summer Skills Incentive Program
What is the Student Summer Skills Incentive?
This program provides wage subsidies for non-profit, charitable, and social enterprise organizations hiring post-secondary students for summer jobs. It also offers higher support for eligible work-integrated learning placements, with up to $10.50 per hour reimbursed under regular SKILL and $11.50 per hour for designated diversity groups.
How much funding can be received?
Student Summer Skills Incentive Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $9,600 per project.
What is the deadline to apply?
The application deadline for this grant program was January 31, 2026.
Who is eligible for the Student Summer Skills Incentive program?
To be eligible for the Student Summer Skills Incentive program, you must:
Registered non-profit, charity, or social enterprise
Summer student job of 8 to 14 weeks
No other government funding for the same position
What expenses are eligible under Student Summer Skills Incentive?
Hiring post-secondary students for summer jobs
Hiring students in co-op, internship, or other work-integrated learning placements
Offering jobs that build transferable skills related to a student’s studies
Who can I contact for more information about the Student Summer Skills Incentive?
You can contact Government of Nova Scotia by email at yepinfo@novascotia.ca or by phone at 902 424-6000.
Where is the Student Summer Skills Incentive available?
The Student Summer Skills Incentive program is available the province of Nova Scotia.