Attached is a complied list of Provincial and Federal funding opportunities for students, and recent graduates – if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out..
*p.s. feel free to share and circulate within your networks.
Sincerely,
Matthew Berrigan
Northern Connector Program
Cell: (902) 449-1273
The Northern Connector Program is an initiative of the Truro/Colchester Partnership, Cumberland Business Connector, & Pictou County REN, and a member of the National Connector Program.
| Program | The $ source | What You Get | Highlights | Eligibility |
| Graduate to Opportunity Program (GTO) | Provincial Government | A 2-year salary subsidy for hiring a recent graduate:
25% of a grad’s Year 1 salary (35% if they are a member of a designated diversity group) 12.5% of the Year 2 salary |
Opportunity to retain well-educated young people in the province.
Application is online and simple to complete. Complete applications are typically turned around in 5 business days. |
Your company is either a small business under 100 employees, a non-profit, start-up or social enterprise.
The Job must be a permanent, full-time position with a minimum annual salary of $30,000, based in Nova Scotia.
|
|
Innovate to Opportunity (ITO) |
Provincial Government | A 3-year salary subsidy for hiring a recent master’s or PhD graduate:
Innovation Stream: 35% of Grads salary in Year 1; 20% in Year 2; 12.5% in Year 3 Advanced Innovation Stream: 50% of Grads salary in Year 1; 25% in Year 2, 12.5% in Year 3 Each stream is eligible for a diversity bonus of 10% for years 1 and 2 |
Innovate to Opportunity (ITO) is helping well-educated graduates start their careers in Nova Scotia while helping businesses become more innovative and export-oriented. The program provides an incentive to hire recent Masters and PhD grads for jobs that are focused on research and innovation that will help businesses begin, prepare for, or expand exports.
Application is online and simple to complete and are turned around within 2-3 weeks. |
Your company must be a small or medium sized business with fewer than 500 full time employees operating in Nova Scotia.
Your business must create a permanent, full-time position with a minimum annual salary of $60,000, based in Nova Scotia. The grad must have completed a Master’s or PhD Program at a recognized post-secondary institution within one year of when the employer’s application is received. |
| Student Summer Skills Incentive (SKILL)
https://novascotia.ca/programs/student-summer-skills-incentive/
|
Provincial Government | Employers are reimbursed $8.85 per hour for the wages they pay their student up to 35 hours per week.
Employers are required to pay their student at least minimum wage). |
Funding is provided to non-profit and charitable organizations who wish to employ a student for 8-14 weeks between April and August.
Application is online and simple to complete. |
Your company must be a non-profit organizations or Registered Charity
Once Approved, the student(s) considered hiring must be registered for post-secondary education in the upcoming fall. |
|
Co-op Education Incentive |
Provincial Government | Wage reimbursement of $7.50 of the $15.00/hour wage paid to the candidate for at least 32.5 hours of work per week. | Hire a post-secondary co-operative education student for a work term of 12-16 weeks.
. Application is online and simple to complete. |
Your company can be either private sector, government-funded or a non-profit organization.
Students considered must be enrolled in a Cooperative Education program at a Nova Scotia university or college. Their field of study should relate to the job. |
|
START https://novascotia.ca/employmentnovascotia/programs/start.asp |
Provincial Government | Financial incentives vary depending on type of employment offered and skill level of employee to be hired | The START program encourages employers to hire Nova Scotians requiring work experience.
Application is online and quick to complete. |
START is available to all businesses, organizations (Not for profit and Social Enterprises) that have business locations and jobs in Nova Scotia. The START program has a focus on Small to medium sized enterprises.
Job seekers are eligible if they are unemployed. |
|
Work Smarts http://canadabusiness.ca/programs/work-smarts-wage-subsidy-program/
|
Provincial Government
(Atlantic provinces only) |
A 50% wage subsidy (up to $8.50/hr) based on a 35-hr work week. | Internships for recent graduates last for up to 26 weeks of employment.
Application is online and quick to complete. |
The employer must provide an $8.50/hr top up (making the salary $17/hr, and provide an additional 11.58% coverage of mandatory employment related costs (EI, Vacation Pay).
The Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre manages this program on behalf of government. |
| GradWorks https://www.nscc.ca/services/careerservices/graduate-employment-services/gradworks/index.asp
|
Funded by ACOA, managed by NSCC | Receive up to 66% salary support – to a maximum of $25,000, | Employers receive this funding for hiring a qualified NSCC graduate for up to a one-year period. | Employers are eligible if they are an SME in Nova Scotia.
Grads must be graduated from NSCC in the last 3 years and be from one of the following programs: Human Resource Management, Industrial Engineering Technology or Occupational Health & Safety. |
|
Venture For Canada Internship Program https://ventureforcanada.ca/employers
|
Not-for-profit organisation obtains funding from individual donors. | A wage subsidy is available up to $7,000. | Venture for Canada connects you to the country’s best and brightest graduates that are vetted by our network of entrepreneurs. During their two-year fellowship, Fellows receive ongoing mentorship, coaching and training. Our process for Partner Start-ups is simple, respectful and will save you time and money on your recruitment and retention efforts. | You are a SME, start-up, social enterprise, non-profit or charity.
To become one of Venture for Canada’s partner employers you will need to contact the representative in Nova Scotia to obtain more information on joining this endeavour. Sabrina Poirier |
| YCW- Building Careers: Building Careers in English and French
|
Federal Government | YCW may contribute a range of 50%-70% of the graduate’s wage depending on the type of organization | Internships last for up to 12 months.
Internship funding for those programs working specifically in English and French. Preference given to employers offering internships for 6-12 months. |
The job seeker you hire must be an un-employed or under-employed college or university graduate, or a grad that graduated within the last 24 months. |
| Energy Nova Scotia
https://energy.novascotia.ca/industry-development/energy-training-program
|
Provincial Government | 50% wage incentive toward student salaries up to $7.50 per hour. | Employers in the energy section can hire a co-op student, non-co-op student or recent grad for a 12-17 week work term.
Application is online and quick to complete. |
Employers can be up to 500 employees and must be based in Nova Scotia.
The work experience must be directly related to the student’s field of study. |
| NRC Industrial Research Assistant Program (IRAP)
http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/irap/services/youth_initiatives.html |
Federal Government | Wage sharing of intern’s salary (costing dependent on application). | Support for small and medium sized business to help build your innovation capacity in the STEM sector. The internships must last a minimum of six months and a maximum of 12 months.
A dedicated Industrial Technology Advisors (ITA’s) are contactable to assist with your application and any questions you may have. |
To be eligible for financial assistance under either of IRAP’s Youth programs, your small and medium-sized enterprise must have 500 or less full-time equivalents.
The post-secondary graduate you hire must be between 15 – 30 years of age. |
|
Mitacs |
Not-for-profit organization- obtains funding from federal, and provincial governments as well as multiple private investors. | Funding starts at $15,000, and your organizational financial contribution starts at $7,500 | You will be matched with a student and a supervising professor to develop a research project.
Internships last at least 4 months. Provincial Mitacs Business Development Representative will be there to assist you in building your customized plan. Application is quick to complete once all documentation is collated |
Your company is either a For-Profit corporation in Canada/ or a select not-for-profit corporation in Canada. You can be in any sector of business.
The Research project idea is new and broadly applicable. The Project must be at an appropriate level of the intern/fellow. |
| Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP) | Federal Government | The maximum contribution per youth internship from the STIP fund is $13,200 over a maximum of 52 weeks. | Internships last for up to 12 months.
Funding supporting those businesses working with the Science and Technology sector to hire youth for green jobs. Application is online and is quick to complete. |
Eligible employers can be: legal entities including for-profit and non-profit organizations, indigenous groups, provincial, regional or municipal governments and their agencies.
Youth must be between 15-30 years of age and not in receipt of EI. |
| Science Horizons Youth Internship Program | Federal Government | Funding up to $12,000-$15,000 is available to employers in the environmental and clean technology sector. | Provides wage subsidies to employers to hire, university or college graduates in STEM roles.
Internship opportunities last 6 – 12 months and provide youth hands on work experience on environmental projects. |
To be eligible for this funding employers must be one of the following: an SME, a post-secondary education institution, an NGO, an Aboriginal organizations or association, municipal and local government, provincial or territorial governments, institutions, agencies or Crown Corporations. |
| Eco Canada: Youth Employment in Natural Resources
https://www.eco.ca/employment-programs/youth-placement/natural-resources/ |
Federal Government | Funding up to $15,000 in wages. | Funding is for 6 – 12 months. | Jobs must be hiring a youth in STEM fields or natural resources.
Youth must be currently un-employed or under-employed, and younger than 30 years. |
| Clean Leadership Program
https://clean.ns.ca/programs/youth-engagement/clean-leadership/
|
Provincial Government | Receive a 60% wage subsidy | Hire a youth for a 15 week or 9-week summer internship in a role to help accelerate a vibrant green economy. | We help the businesses, organizations, and government agencies championing low-carbon growth to invest in students and grads age 15-30 by placing them in internships in the clean sector for a sustainable, thriving economy. |
| BioTalent Canada
|
Up to $7000 of wage subsidy funding | Minimum work placement is 16 weeks.
The Student Work-Integrated Learning Program is an initiative to increase the job-readiness of students registered in STEM or business programs at Canadian post-secondary institutions. The program consists of two components: co-op wage subsidies to a maximum of $7,000 and curricula enhancements to better align biotechnology programs at post-secondary institutions with the needs of Canada’s bio-economy. |
To qualify for the program, either the co-op position needs to have a biotechnology focus or the employer needs to have a biotechnology focus.
The company must provide a full-time work opportunity for a minimum of 16 weeks, 5 days a week, 7.5 hours a day; The wage subsidy covers the cost of a co-op student’s salary by up to 50% to a maximum of $5,000 and up to 70% to a maximum of $7,000 for first-year students and under-represented groups including: women in STEM, women in business, indigenous students, persons with disabilities and newcomers; Students must be registered in a STEM or business program at a Canadian post-secondary institution. |
|
| Divert NS (RRFB Nova Scotia) | Private Business Sponsored | Under-graduate students can receive up to $8,000 and graduate students can receive up to $15,000. | Funding opportunities available for students, and organisations for specific projects, research and development, and new technologies related to solid waste diversion.
Applications are available to print from online and is quick to complete. |
The program is intended to support student research projects that will provide a commercial benefit to businesses and municipalities and/or result in the increase of diversion of materials from our landfills. |
| ICT Career Connect Program
https://www.ictc-ctic.ca/talent/#employers
|
Organization obtains funding from federal, and provincial governments as well as multiple private investors and corporate partners. | 50% of participant’s salary, up to $14,000 | Minimum 3 month term.
Supports business who wish to hire an underemployed post-secondary graduate for full time work. Application is online and is quick to complete. |
The work experience position should match one of the digital economy labour force National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes.
The host employer must be a private sector employer operating in a high demand sector in the respective region as identified here. The employer will provide full-time work for the participant (minimum of 30 hours a week). |
| Canadian Women’s Foundation | Not-for-profit organization- obtains funding from private donors, corporate partners & volunteer partners | Grant given at a maximum of $65,000 annually for 5 years. | Approved funding can be given for up to 5 consecutive years to help the participant learn a skilled trade, start a business or gain work experience.
Application is online and quick to complete. |
You are an eligible employer if you are: a non-profit organization or a First Nations Band designated as qualified donees by the Canadian Revenue Agency.
We prioritize programs that are for women, girls, Two-Spirit, and non-binary peoples who faces multiple barriers. |
| Community Support for Black Canadian Youth
|
Federal Funding | Funding contributions are made for initiatives that support Black Canadian Youth up to and over $250,000. | ||
| Neil Squires Fund ‘Working Together program’
https://www.neilsquire.ca/business-programs-services/workingtogether/ |
Funded by Federal Government’s Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities | Receive a wage subsidy for up to a minimum of 6 months | The Neil Squires Society connects you with qualified candidates, and employers hire an individual with a disability for part-time or full-time employment. | |
| Access-Ability https://www.smuec.ca/for-business/wage-subsidy/access-ability/ |
SMU Entrepreneurship Centre | A ‘pay for performance’ wage subsidy starting at 10$ tiering up each month to 100% coverage in the 7th month. (up to $6,800 in total). | Dedicated to providing inclusive hiring, by helping employers hire a person who lives with a disability. | Employers must offer a minimum of a 35 hour work week up to 30 weeks in length, and provide a $15/hr wage. Someone in your organization must act as a mentor to the new employee. Participants must be living with a disability that they will self-identify. They must be a permanent resident, and not receiving EI benefits. |
| Options Youth
https://www.smuec.ca/for-business/wage-subsidy/options-youth/
|
SMU Entrepreneurship Centre | Receive up to $3,500 in funding to cover the cost of training while helping priority youth (age 15-30) overcome multiple barriers to employment, and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to make a successful transition to the labour market or return to school. | Organization mentors are assigned to hired participants. Participants must be facing employment barriers. | Employers receive a $5/hour wage subsidy based on a 35-hour work week for 20 weeks.
Participants must be permanent residents and not in receipt of EI. |
| Student Employment Initiative
https://smu.ca/campus-life/career-services/careers-students-with-disabilities.html
|
SMU Career Services & Fred Smithers Centre (Support for Students with Disabilities). | SEI helps students with disabilities secure employment contracts in the fall part time for 20 students or the summer full time for 20 students. | Employers must pay participants $13/hr | |
| Young Canada Works | Federal Government | Summer Job Program between 25-50% of wages covered. The maximum contribution is $8,000 per job. Youth Internship Program |
Summer Job must last between 6 – 16 weeks and support organizations with a heritage mandate (arts, culture, official languages).
The internship program is for unemployed or underemployed college or university grads and supports organizations in the heritage, arts and cultural sectors. Internships range from 4 – 12 months. |
|
| CIRA Community Investment Program https://cira.ca/improving-canadas-internet/grants/how-apply
|
Private Business Sponsored Funding | Grants range from $25,000-$50,000, to a maximum of $100,000.
Applications reopen January 2020 |
One-time funding support for innovative projects that support the development and/or enhancement of the internet for the benefit of all Canadians. | The Community Investment Program is open to:
1) Organizations recognized by the CRA as a registered charity 2) Non-profits 3) Academics and researchers affiliated with a Canadian University 4) Applicants must demonstrate fiscal responsibility and a sold track record of past success 5) Organizations must be based in Canada and projects must be of benefit to Canadians |
| Quality Investment Grant for Early Education Child Care | ||||
| Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) | Dalhousie | |||
| Youth Employability Program (CEED): https://www.ceed.ca/youth-programming/youth-employability-program/ | The Youth Employability Program (YEP) is an outreach program that empowers youth to explore their interests and achieve their goals through access to education, employment and resources across HRM.
YEP provides support to youth between the ages of 15 and 21 who are looking for assistance with employment and education. As an employer, you can make a social investment by hiring our youth! If you would like to pursue an employment partnership with us, or have questions, please call 902-421-2333, text 902-418-6883, or email info@ceed.ca. |
|||
| Government of Canada: Summer Jobs
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/canada-summer-jobs.html |
Government of Canada | Canada Summer Jobs is an initiative of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.
The program provides wage subsidies to employers from not-for-profit organizations, the public-sector, and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees, to create quality summer work experiences for young people aged 15 to 30 years. As in 2019, funded employers are no longer restricted to hiring students: all youth aged 15 to 30 years may be eligible participants. Not-for-profit employers are eligible to receive funding for up to 100% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage. Public and private sector employers are eligible to receive funding for up to 50% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage. The call for applications is open from January 30, 2020, to February 24, 2020. |
||
| Youth The Apprentice Job Creation Tax Credit https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/line-412-investment-tax-credit/apprenticeship-job-creation-tax-credit.html | Offers a 10% tax credit (up to $2,000 per year per apprentice) with the salary of a Red Seal apprentice when they begin their apprenticeship. | |||
| One Journey Work and Learn https://novascotia.ca/lae/one-journey-work-and-learn/ | Nova Scotia Job Fund | Supports skill development and employment opportunities for unemployed or underemployed Nova Scotians in industries where a shortage of labour has been identified. | ||
| Welcoming Workplaces https://workplaceinitiatives.novascotia.ca/welcoming-workplaces | Offers information and tools to support employers as they tap into the unique and beneficial blend of skills, abilities, and perspectives that diverse employees bring to the workplace. | |||
| SkillsonlineNS https://www.coursepark.com/ns | Offers free learning for Nova Scotia businesses and valuable skills training to employees and managers. | |||
| Skills Link https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/skills-link/application-guide.html | Government of Canada | (Service Canada) offers non-profit organizations (or businesses engaged in not-for-profit activities) up to $25,000 to hire and train youth facing systemic barriers to entering the workforce. | ||
| The Energy Training Program https://energy.novascotia.ca/industrdevelopment/energy-training-program | Offers up to a 50% wage subsidy (up to $7.50/hour) for small to medium-sized enterprises in the Energy industry who hire new graduates and students. | |||
| The R&D Youth Employment Program https://www.mentorworks.ca/what-we-offer/government-funding/human-resources-and-training/youth-employment-program/ | Offers financial assistance for small and medium-sized enterprises looking to hire highly skilled post-secondary graduates undertaking research and development of new technology. | |||