Employer Information & Resources

Online, in the office, or at home. Wherever you work, there’s a student who can help you grow your business.

TECHNATION’s Career Ready Program supports students to have meaningful work and provides businesses an affordable way to scale up their tech talent. With funding from the Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program (SWPP), we provide subsidies for businesses of any size, all across Canada, to hire students in tech-immersive roles. If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to start-up, scale-up or speed up your business’s operations, use the Career Ready Program to receive up to $7000 per student and subsidize their wage.

Step 1: Hire a Student

A great way to find students seeking work placements is to connect with your local post-secondary institutions.

You can also use traditional recruitment methods to attract students, i.e., post a co-op/internship position on your favourite job board(s). The Career Ready Program doesn’t recruit students for your work term placement, but you can always contact a program coordinator if you require further support or direction.

Or use the Career Ready Talent Portal to broadcast your job description to multiple schools in your region.

Step 2: Apply for the Career Ready Wage Subsidy

Applications are created by employers, and are comprised of three easy to follow stages. Within the first stage, the student will be linked in to complete their portion. Visit our Applications page.

For more details on the application process, access our program guide or application manual.

Step 3: Get Funding

Will our business qualify?

  • You must be a registered Canadian business or organization – we encourage applications from non-profit and “non-tech” companies
  • You cannot be a post-secondary institution, large financial sector employer, or any federal, provincial or municipal government group
  • You must have the financial capacity to hire a student for a work term, pay them consistently and provide a meaningful work experience

Will our position qualify?

Tech touches almost all industries and disciplines. The Career Ready Program has opened eligibility to students outside of STEM programs. That means students studying arts, business and other interdisciplinary or hybrid areas now qualify.

  • The position is tech immersive. Utilizes technology either entirely or in some capacity
  • The position is a meaningful work integrated learning experience
  • The position is paid

If COVID-19 has affected the way your business operates, a student placement can help.

Considering a remote-work placement? We have supported thousands of remote work placements this year, and will continue to do so in the future.

Downloads

Employer Partnership Kit

Pre-made content for social media, newsletters, and blogs about the Career Ready Program to share with your network. | 02/12/2022

Download

Employer Guide

Everything you need to know about the program | 02/12/2022

Download

Stackable Funding Resource

Funding opportunities from other organizations that you can stack with Career Ready funding | 11/05/2022

Download

Employer Application Manual

Detailed look at the application process | 03/05/2021

Download

Program Postcard

High level program information | 03/05/2021

Download

FAQs

Am I eligible?

99% of applications received in the summer of 2021 were approved – join them!

Quick Eligibility Assessment:

  1. You’re a registered Canadian business or organization
  2. You’re not a federal, provincial or municipal government group (or funded by one)
  3. You have the financial capacity to hire a student for a part of full-time work term, pay them consistently and provide a meaningful work experience
  4. You’re not hiring a student who is an immediate family member
  5. You’re not a post-secondary institution, bank or large financial sector employer, or a federal, provincial, or municipal government
  6. You follow the Net New rule (see What is Net New? in the FAQs)

What is Net New?

Net new is determined by subtracting the number of students your company is intending to hire (forecast) in the current fiscal year, including those already hired, from the number of students hired by your company in a fiscal year prior to first participating in this program (baseline).

For example, if your company hired 3 students in the fiscal year (April 1 to March 31) prior to applying for funding, 3 is your baseline. Then, your company must intend to hire at least 4 students in your forecast of hires within that fiscal year to qualify for 1 subsidy to support the increase.

Forecast – baseline = net new student placements eligible for wage subsidy

We recommend creating an application in the portal to take advantage of the online Net New calculator.

When will I be paid?

Employers can expect the full subsidy payment 2 – 4 weeks after the end of the placement period provided all required information has been submitted for us to review.

How many subsidies can I apply for?

If you’re planning on applying for more than 10 subsidies in a single placement period, they may be waitlisted. In some instances, we can make exceptions for special projects. Please request permission from our Program Coordinators first to ensure we can offer this while maintaining equitable distribution to other employers and regions.

Do I need to complete separate applications for each student I hire?

Yes, we manage them individually. After you’ve submitted your first application, you’ll notice that as you create more, tasks will be pre-completed for you. To create additional applications, return to the program home page and click APPLY to generate a new one.

Do I need multiple applications if I keep the student longer than 4 months?

Yes – if you have a student in Winter (January – April) who stays over the summer, you’ll need to apply again in the subsequent summer program for your next subsidy.

When are the deadlines to submit applications?

We accept applications on a rolling basis. Applications are accepted approximately 3 months before the beginning of a placement period, and throughout. Subsidies are offered on a first come, first served basis.

Career Ready Program

Employers - apply for our wage subsidy program and get the next generation of talent working for you. Students - apply your learning in real-world settings for a bright career.

Learn More

Applications

Apply to earn up to $7,000 in wage subsidy per student.

Learn More

Career Ready Tips for Onboarding Students Remotely

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Employer Ready LaunchPad

Access e-learning modules, tools, and resources to enhance experiences for your student employees.

Learn More