Canada Summer Jobs 2012 - Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Canada Summer Jobs?

Canada Summer Jobs is a Government of Canada initiative that provides funding to help employers create summer job opportunities for students. It is designed to focus on local priorities while achieving tangible results for both students and their communities.

2. What are the objectives of Canada Summer Jobs?

Canada Summer Jobs has three main objectives:

  1. to provide work experiences for students;
  2. to support organizations, including those that provide important community services; and
  3. to recognize that local circumstances, community needs and priorities vary widely.

3. Who can apply for Canada Summer Jobs 2012?

Canadian not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees can apply for funding through Canada Summer Jobs.

4. When did the application period end?

The application period for Canada Summer Jobs 2012 is closed. The deadline for applications was February 29, 2012. Applications received or postmarked after the deadline will not be assessed.

5. How will applications be assessed?

Applications will first be reviewed to ensure they meet the basic eligibility requirements. They will then be assessed, on a constituency-by-constituency basis, using the following criteria:

  • service to local communities;
  • jobs that support local priorities;
  • jobs that provide career-related experience or early work experience;
  • jobs with a salary that contributes to the student’s income;
  • employers who provide supervision and mentoring;
  • project activities that are directed toward members of, and support the vitality of, an Official Language Minority Community; and
  • employers who intend to hire priority students (students with disabilities, Aboriginal students and students who are members of visible minority groups).

6. When will employers be notified of the decision regarding their application?

Employers will be notified in May 2012.

7. Who is responsible for hiring students?

Employers are responsible for hiring.  Employers looking to post a student job advertisement can visit jobbank.gc.ca.

8. What are the local priorities and where can employers find them?

The assessment of applications will be carried out on a constituency-by-constituency basis, ensuring that local priorities are reflected in the assessment.

For example, local priorities could be:

  • special events (sport, cultural or other events on a local, provincial/territorial, national or international scale);
  • locations (such as rural or remote areas or areas of high unemployment); or
  • sectors (such as tourism or agriculture).

The lists of local priorities used in assessing applications are available on the website, by calling 1-800-935-5555, and at any Service Canada Centre.

9. How much funding are employers eligible to receive?

Not-for-profit employers are eligible for up to 100 percent of the provincial/territorial minimum hourly wage and Mandatory Employment-Related Costs.

Public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees are eligible for up to 50 percent of the provincial/territorial minimum hourly wage.

10. Which students are eligible to participate in Canada Summer Jobs?

Eligible students:

  • are between 15 and 30 years of age;
  • have been registered as a full-time student in the previous academic year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis in the next academic year;
  • are Canadian citizens or permanent residents or have official refugee protection status under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (foreign students are not eligible); and
  • are legally entitled to work in Canada, according to relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations.

11. Are there other programs that support youth employment?

Canada Summer Jobs is part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy (YES). Led by HRSDC in partnership with 10 other federal departments, YES helps youth, particularly those facing barriers to employment, obtain career information, develop skills, gain work experience, find good jobs and stay employed. The strategy involves three programs: Skills Link, Career Focus and Summer Work Experience (which includes the Canada Summer Jobs program).

Youth employment programs are part of the Government of Canada’s broader strategy to create an educated, skilled and flexible workforce. The Government underscored its commitment to this strategy in Canada’s Economic Action Plan. A key component of the Plan is to create more and better opportunities for Canadian workers through skills development.

Furthermore, the Government is helping youth prepare for, find and maintain meaningful employment through enhanced online services available at Youth.gc.ca.

To learn more about youth employment opportunities:

Click on www.youth.gc.ca
Call 1-800-935-5555
Visit your local Service Canada Centre