Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages — For-Profit
Last Update: July 22, 2025
Canada
Wage subsidy for summer students
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages — For-Profit at a glance
Eligible Funding
- Up to 50% of project cost
Timeline
- Open Date : January 1, 2024
- Closing date : February 3, 2024
Financing Type
Wage Subsidies And Interns
Eligible Industries
- Information and cultural industries
- Educational services
Grant Providers
- Canadian Heritage
- Government of Canada
Program status
Closed
Overview of the Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages — For-Profit program
Get a wage subsidy to cover 50% of the costs of paying a summer student to work 30–40 hours a week for 16 weeks, if you operate a for-profit business.
Financing terms and conditions
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages provides funding to support youth employment in opportunities that develop skills in Canada's official languages. The financing modalities are designed to assist various organizations in providing these job experiences.
- The program may contribute up to 50% of employment costs for private and public sector organizations and up to 70% for non-profit organizations.
- An allocation to cover lodging costs is provided for students living more than 125 km from their workplace, and it includes one round trip covered between the student's residence and workplace.
- Reasonable costs for job accommodation may be reimbursed up to a maximum of $3,000 per participant, specifically for participants with disabilities.
- Payments are made following the receipt and acceptance of required documentation by the delivery organization.
- All contributions are taxable and considered pensionable and insurable by the Canada Revenue Agency.
- Financial reporting is required to ensure compliance with program terms.
Eligible projects & activities
The Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages (YCWBOL) grant is designed to foster the development of official-language minority communities and provide opportunities for students to explore career opportunities in both official languages. The eligible projects focus on gaining practical work experience, promoting Canada's linguistic duality, and supporting the development of these communities.
- Jobs fostering the development of official-language minority communities using the employee's first official language.
- Jobs providing opportunities to practice second-language skills, including placements at "Languages at Work" sites.
- Projects promoting the benefits of Canada's linguistic duality.
- Initiatives assisting businesses and organizations in delivering services in both official languages across Canada.
- Projects supporting the sustainable development and labour force needs of official-language minority communities.
- Initiatives addressing labour shortages and helping to counteract the youth exodus from these communities.
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 2,000
Hiring a summer student to design bilingual educational materials
$ 3,750
A summer student to organize a bilingual cultural festival
$ 2,750
Hire a summer student to support the bilingual tourism initiatives
$ 3,000
Employing a summer student for a bilingual digital marketing campaign
$ 2,500
Hire a summer student to develop a bilingual community outreach program
$ 3,500
Summer student to implement bilingual youth leadership workshops
Eligibility criteria of the Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages — For-Profit program
Eligibility for the Young Canada Works grant programs in Heritage Organizations and Internships is determined by specific requirements related to the applicant's organizational structure and project alignment.
- The organization must be an incorporated, non-profit entity in Canada with a heritage mandate, such as a museum, archive, library, or an organization managing built heritage.
- It can be an educational or cultural institution with distinct objectives, programs, and budget related to heritage.
- Non-profit organizations under provincial, territorial, regional, or municipal government that have distinct objectives, programs, and budgets related to heritage are eligible.
- Professional heritage service organizations or Indigenous regional governments or governing bodies with a heritage mandate are also eligible.
- Organizations must be stable and financially healthy.
- The organization is not eligible if it is a federal department, federal agency, Crown Corporation, or a provincial or territorial government department, or if it is associated with a federal entity.
Who is eligible?
To determine if your organization is eligible to apply, please read the eligibility criteria specific to each program in Section 2 for employment programs and Section 3 for internship programs.
Who is not eligible
The Young Canada Works (YCW) programs have specific eligibility criteria that restrict certain types of organizations from applying. These restrictions are mainly related to the organization's status or main activity to ensure alignment with YCW objectives.
- Federal departments, federal agencies, or Crown corporations.
- Provincial or territorial government departments.
- For-profit organizations.
- Non-profit organizations that are operationally dependent on a federal entity due to administrative or contractual relationships.
Eligible expenses
The Young Canada Works (YCW) program offers a variety of opportunities for students and interns to gain valuable work experience in heritage and linguistic sectors. These projects aim to enhance skills and appreciation of Canada's heritage and linguistic diversity.
- YCW in Heritage Organizations: Employment that allows students to gain skills and explore career choices in the heritage sector.
- YCW in Both Official Languages: Jobs fostering development in official-language minority communities and opportunities to practice second-language skills.
- Languages at Work: Practical work experiences for students improving their second official language following the Explore program.
- YCW at Building Careers in Heritage: Internships helping graduates acquire and enhance skills necessary for their transitions to the labor market in heritage, arts, or cultural sectors.
Eligible geographic areas
This grant is available to organizations across Canada. There are no specific regional limitations mentioned for eligibility.
Eligibility criteria of the Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages — For-Profit program
The Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages (YCWBOL) program evaluates and selects eligible employers based on their compliance with specific criteria, ensuring that they meet organizational and operational standards while promoting bilingual activities. Employers must demonstrate stability, financial health, incorporation, and involvement in bilingual activities at various levels.
- Private, public, non-profit organization, or a municipality
- Incorporated entity
- Involved in national, provincial, territorial, municipal, or community activities
- Conducting activities in both official languages
- Stable and financially healthy
- Not a federal department, federal agency, Crown Corporation, or a provincial or territorial government department
How to apply to the Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages — For-Profit program
1
Determine Eligibility
- Identify the specific YCW program(s) relevant to your organization's goals and activities.
- Review the eligibility criteria for the chosen YCW program in Section 2 (Employment Programs) and Section 3 (Internship Program).
2
Online Application Submission
- Visit the YCW website and create an account to access the application portal.
- Select the delivery organization that aligns with your project objectives.
- Complete the online application form, providing detailed project proposals that address YCW objectives and program-specific criteria.
- Attach relevant supporting documents, such as project plans, timelines, and budget estimates.
- Submit the application before the specified deadline for the respective YCW program.
3
Application Assessment
- The selected delivery organization will review and evaluate your application.
- Be prepared to provide additional information or documentation if requested by the delivery organization.
4
Notification of Decision
- Receive an official notification of the funding decision within 10 weeks of the application deadline.
- If approved, you will receive an email confirmation with a preliminary offer. Accept the offer to proceed with the recruitment process.
- If refused, you will receive a written notification and can request feedback from the delivery organization.
5
Post-Approval Requirements
- Upon acceptance of the preliminary offer, gain access to the YCW online list of candidates for recruitment purposes.
- Complete an online Candidate Eligibility Form for your chosen candidate and submit it for pre-approval.
- Sign a contract with the delivery organization outlining contribution amount, terms, and conditions.
- Complete an online Staffing Report within the first week of employment.
Additional information
Here are additional relevant details for this grant:
- All candidates must be registered in the YCW online candidate inventory prior to hiring.
- YCW contributions are based on the actual salaries paid to employees, and wages must align with industry standards.
- The maximum contribution for YCW in Heritage Organizations is typically $10,000 per job.
- For internship programs, the maximum contribution is generally $15,000 for domestic internships and $17,000 for international museology internships.
- Up to 50% of total eligible employment costs may be covered, with potential for increased funding based on justification and priorities.
- Reasonable costs up to $3,000 related to workplace accommodations for persons with disabilities can be reimbursed.
- YCW is committed to diversity and encourages hiring youth facing barriers to employment.
- Employers are encouraged to prioritize hiring new participants each year in all programs.
- 75% of the payment will be issued at the start, with the remaining 25% provided upon receipt and approval of required documentation at the end of the work term.
- Employers must acknowledge the Government of Canada's financial support in promotional and media activities.
- For international internships, additional obligations include ensuring interns travel with Canadian documents and register on the Government of Canada website before departure.
Contact Canadian Heritage
coordonnateurjct-ycwcoordinator@pch.gc.ca
1-800-935-5555
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