Student Work Placement Program

Hiring post-secondary students can be a smart way to build future talent while getting meaningful work done, but wages and onboarding costs can be a barrier. The Student Work Placement Program helps employers across Canada bring students onto their teams by covering a portion of their wages, making it easier to offer paid, career-relevant work experiences. The program is backed by Employment and Social Development Canada and is designed to support placements in a wide range of sectors, from technology and manufacturing to agriculture, tourism, and the creative industries.

Through this program, businesses and nonprofit organizations can receive non-repayable wage subsidies of up to around $5,000 per student placement, with higher support of up to roughly $7,000 when hiring first-year students or students from under-represented groups such as women in STEM, Indigenous students, newcomers, or persons with disabilities. Funding is typically accessed through approved delivery organizations that work closely with employers to match students to real-world roles aligned with their studies. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, which makes the program particularly useful for employers with recurring or seasonal hiring needs.

For organizations looking to strengthen their workforce pipeline while keeping hiring costs manageable, the Student Work Placement Program can be a practical option worth exploring further to see how it fits your staffing plans.