Open
Source verified July 23, 2026
Talent Opportunities Program — Student Work Placement Program
Wage subsidies for student work placements
Latest source updateLast Update: September 10, 2026Latest change: The TOP page now lists Fall and Winter 2027 application coverage and adds a summer-term retroactive application option for eligible co-op students without prior SWPP funding.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: September 10, 2026
Latest change: The TOP page now lists Fall and Winter 2027 application coverage and adds a summer-term retroactive application option for eligible co-op students without prior SWPP funding.
TOP application terms updated
The Talent Opportunities Program page now says the application portal is open for Fall and Winter 2027 terms. It also says employers who hired a co-op student during a summer term and have not yet received SWPP funding for that student may still submit an application. The prior text referred to summer and fall coverage and said retroactive terms before Winter were not being accepted, so the timing and retroactive-application rules have shifted.
Funding available
$ 5,000
Deadline
Open continuously
Location
Ontario, Canada
Overview
Talent Opportunities Program provides eligible employers anywhere in Canada with a wage subsidy of up to 50% of wages, to a maximum of $5,000, to hire post-secondary students in paid work-integrated learning placements. Funded placements can include co-operative education, internships, and remote work placements in Canada.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Attract or retain talent
- Develop workforce skills
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Ontario
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Sole proprietorship
- Public or Parapublic institution
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Employment and Training
Target groups
- Young adults
- Indigenous peoples
- New immigrants & refugees
- People with disabilities
- Women & girls
- Business owners / entrepreneurs
- Academia / students
- Minority groups
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- National
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 1
Activities funded
- Paid work-integrated learning placements relevant to the student’s field of study
- Co-operative education placements
- Internships
- Full-time or part-time placements, including work from home placements
Documents Needed
- Employment contract or letter signed by the student and the employer, including company name, position title, job description or responsibilities, start and end dates, and hourly wage
- Proof of Canadian citizen, permanent resident or refugee status
- Proof of enrollment through a signed document from the post-secondary institution confirming the student is registered in a program or course with a WIL component and that the placement satisfies WIL requirements
- Signed Student Agreement
- Appendix E from the student’s post-secondary institution
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Registered Canadian businesses
- Registered Canadian not-for-profit organizations
- Employers located anywhere in Canada
- Employers in any industry sector
- Start-ups
Who is not eligible
- Federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal governments, and organizations that are extensions of government, such as crown corporations, hospitals, public long-term care facilities, and post-secondary institutions
- Members of the House of Commons and the Senate
- Organizations that engage in partisan political activities
- Major and other financial sector employers over 500 or more employees, including businesses that underwrite loans
Eligible expenses
- Gross wages paid to the student
- The non-governmental portion of student wages when a placement is partially funded by non-federal government sources
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Placements subsidized by the federal government under another funding program
- Contractor positions or placements where the student is not on the employer’s payroll
- Trades and apprenticeships
- Clinical hours in healthcare
- Articling hours for lawyers
Selection criteria
- Funding is available on a first-come first-serve basis; applications may be waitlisted if funding is exhausted.
How to apply
- Submit an application through the online portal at https://occ.poweredbymagnet.ca/.
- Log in with an existing Magnet or Outcome Campus Connect account, or create a new employer account.
- Select the Student Work Placement Program and click Apply Now to access the application portal.
- Complete the application with the required employer, placement, and student information.
- Upload the required documents for the placement and student.
- After the employer submits the application, the student must complete the online student information form and sign the Student Agreement.
Processing and Agreement
- After submission, the application is reviewed and the employer receives an email with further instructions; applications may be waitlisted if funding is not available.
- Applications may be started before a student has been hired, but conditional approval is only available after an eligible student has been hired and all required information and documents are submitted.
- The student is invited to complete the online student information form and sign the Student Agreement; a signed Student Agreement is required for application approval.
- When an application receives conditional approval, the employer must sign a Recipient Agreement before funds are set aside for the wage subsidy.
- After the Recipient Agreement is fully executed, the employer must submit a void cheque or banking information, the student’s first pay stub, a mid-term check-in, the student’s last pay stub, and an employer exit survey at the appropriate time.
Additional information
- Employers may apply for more than one student or placement, but a new application is required for each placement.
- Employers may only benefit from a subsidy once per student per term and may not receive funding for the same placement from more than one SWPP funding partner.
- Placements that end early remain eligible if the shortened placement still satisfies the student’s WIL requirements; confirmation from the post-secondary institution may be required.
- Wages covered by a wage subsidy cannot be counted toward any tax credits.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Talent Opportunities Program — Student Work Placement Program Program
What is the Talent Opportunities Program — Student Work Placement Program?
Talent Opportunities Program provides eligible employers anywhere in Canada with a wage subsidy of up to 50% of wages, to a maximum of $5,000, to hire post-secondary students in paid work-integrated learning placements. Funded placements can include co-operative education, internships, and remote work placements in Canada.
How much funding can be received?
Talent Opportunities Program — Student Work Placement Program Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $5,000 per project.
What is the deadline to apply?
The program is accepting continuous intake
Who is eligible for the Talent Opportunities Program — Student Work Placement Program program?
To be eligible for the Talent Opportunities Program — Student Work Placement Program program, you must:
The applicant must be a registered Canadian business or not-for-profit organization.
The employer may be located anywhere in Canada and may operate in any industry sector.
For businesses with a workforce of 100 or more employees, placements must be net new to qualify for funding.
What expenses are eligible under Talent Opportunities Program — Student Work Placement Program?
Paid work-integrated learning placements relevant to the student’s field of study
Co-operative education placements
Internships
Full-time or part-time placements, including work from home placements
Who can I contact for more information about the Talent Opportunities Program — Student Work Placement Program?
You can contact Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) by email at top@occ.ca.
Where is the Talent Opportunities Program — Student Work Placement Program available?
The Talent Opportunities Program — Student Work Placement Program program is available the province of Ontario.