How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 70% of admissible expenses, capped at $7000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is 2024-08-31T23:59:59Z.

Who are the financial supporters of the TECHNATION — Career Ready Program?

TECHNATION — Career Ready Program is funded by TECHNATION

What are TECHNATION — Career Ready Program's eligibility criterias?

The applicant must be a registered Canadian business or non-profit organization. Employers must provide a tech-focused work placement opportunity to a student. Large financial sector employers, post-secondary institutions, and municipalities are not eligible.

TECHNATION — Career Ready Program

Last Update: January 24, 2025

Canada

Wage subsidy for developing tech talent

TECHNATION — Career Ready Program at a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $7,000
Up to 70% of project cost

Timeline

Open Date : May 1, 2024
Closing date : August 31, 2024

Financing Type

Wage Subsidies And Interns

Eligible Industries

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Manufacturing
Information and cultural industries
Professional, scientific and technical services
Health care and social assistance

Grant Providers

TECHNATION

Status

Open

Overview of the TECHNATION — Career Ready Program program

Get a wage subsidy to cover up to 50% of the costs of a work term placement, to a maximum of $5,000 per placement, when you hire a post-secondary student. Maximum coverage for under-represented groups is 70% of the costs to a maximum of $7,000.

Financing terms and conditions

TECHNATION's Career Ready Program provides businesses with financial support to hire students, offering subsidies tailored to encourage diversity and growth in Canada's tech sector workforce.

Subsidy covers 50% of a student's wages, up to a maximum of $5,000 per placement.
Increased subsidy of 70% for hiring students from under-represented groups, up to $7,000 per placement.
Financial support includes both wage subsidies and prioritization for roles in high-growth sectors such as Digital Technology and Clean Tech.
Funding is distributed based on provincial/territory population percentages to ensure regional balance.

Eligible projects & activities

The Career Ready Program facilitates student work placements in tech-immersive roles within high-growth sectors. This initiative supports projects that enhance tech skills through real-world applications, thus enabling innovation and development in numerous fields.

Roles in digital technology, encompassing IT, digital marketing, and software engineering.
Positions related to AI, IoT, Machine Learning, and Advanced Manufacturing.
Engagements in cybersecurity projects.
Roles in Agri-Tech and Clean Tech sectors.
Health Tech positions facilitating technological advancements in healthcare.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 6,000

Hire a software engineering intern to develop a mobile application for health tech services

$ 5,000

Engage an AI intern to develop machine learning models for agricultural data analysis

$ 5,500

Hire a student to assist in the development of clean tech waste management systems

$ 4,500

Hire a digital marketing intern to create a comprehensive online marketing strategy

$ 7,000

Employ a cybersecurity student for enhancing company's network security systems

Eligibility criteria of the TECHNATION — Career Ready Program program

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific criteria related to the applicant's business status and their ability to provide tech-focused work placements.

The applicant must be a registered Canadian business or non-profit organization.
Employers in the large financial sector, post-secondary institutions, and municipalities are not eligible.
The applicant must provide a meaningful, tech-focused work placement opportunity to a student.
The student must be registered in an accredited Canadian post-secondary institution.
The role offered must be tech immersive.
Applications must be submitted before or during the placement period.

Who is eligible?

Registered Canadian businesses and non-profits that can provide meaningful, tech-focused work placements for students are eligible to apply. However, large financial sector employers, post-secondary institutions, and municipalities are ineligible for this subsidy.

Who is not eligible

This grant excludes certain companies mainly due to their sector and organizational type. These restrictions are in line with the grant's focus on tech and educational sectors.

Large financial sector employers.
Post-secondary institutions.
Municipalities.

Eligible expenses

The Career Ready Program aims to integrate students into tech-focused roles within companies, bolstering their skills while meeting industry needs. Eligible roles are varied and include aspects of marketing, strategy, and data technology.

Tech roles in digital marketing, including market research, industry analysis, and branding.
Strategy roles such as consulting, analysts, and business development.
Data and technology roles, including data analysis, AI/machine learning, software development, and IT support.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant is available to Canadian businesses and non-profits, ensuring national access. The program aims to distribute opportunities fairly across the country, emphasizing diversity and inclusion.

Businesses registered in Canada.
All provinces and territories within Canada.

Eligibility criteria of the TECHNATION — Career Ready Program program

The evaluation and selection of projects under the Career Ready Program are driven by criteria that ensure alignment with the program’s objectives and contribution to tech talent development.

Preference for employers hiring students from underrepresented communities (Women in STEM, Indigenous students, visible minorities, new Canadians, persons with disabilities, and first-year undergraduate students).
Focus on tech-immersive roles that fall within high-growth sectors such as digital technology, AI, IoT, machine learning, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, agri-tech, clean tech, and health tech.
Geographic distribution to ensure accessibility and fair allocation of placements across different provinces and territories based on population percentages.
Consideration for employers who are applying for more than one placement but are capped at five applications per employer.

How to apply to the TECHNATION — Career Ready Program program

Access Application Portal

Go to TECHNATION’s Career Ready Program website.
Click on the link to start your application in the application portal.

Complete Initial Application Stage

Fill out the application form with necessary details about your organization and the intended student hires.
Indicate whether you are hiring students from underrepresented groups.
Specify the tech-immersive role and its relevance to the high-growth sectors.

Submit Application

Review the completed application form for accuracy and completeness.
Submit the application via the online portal.

Confirmation of Application

Await a confirmation email that your application has been received and is being processed.

Additional information

Here is additional relevant detail for the grant:

Employers are encouraged to use the online "Net New" calculator within the application portal to calculate the number of eligible student placements for wage subsidies.