Hiring young workers can be a challenge if you have a tight budget or little time for training. For youth, finding a first real job can feel just as tough, especially without experience or connections. Youth Employment Services (BC), delivered through WorkBC, supports both employers and youth by offering employment services, training help, and wage incentives to get youth into paid work across British Columbia.
Youth Employment Services is a provincial initiative run by the Government of British Columbia through WorkBC Centres. The program helps eligible youth get ready for, find, and keep a job. It also supports employers who want to hire and train young workers.
Instead of a single cash grant, the program provides a range of employment services such as:
Support and funding are not fixed amounts. The level of help depends on the youth’s needs, the job itself, and what the employer can offer.
Youth can qualify if they:
A local WorkBC Centre confirms eligibility. There is no online grant application form for youth.
Employers may join the program if they:
Both small businesses and larger employers can qualify. The job must support real skill development, and there are no industry-wide exclusions.
Employers do not use a single online application. Instead, they work with WorkBC Centres.
Steps for employers:
Contact a local WorkBC Centre
An employment advisor explains how Youth Employment Services works and checks eligibility.
Share job details
You describe the job, hours, wage, and skills needed.
Candidate matching
WorkBC may match you with an eligible youth or approve a youth you already know.
Agreement and onboarding
If supports like wage subsidies or training help are approved, WorkBC sets the terms before the youth starts work.
GrantHub’s eligibility matcher can help you quickly find other youth hiring and wage subsidy programs by province and industry before you speak to WorkBC.
Youth do not apply for funding directly. Instead, they use WorkBC services.
Steps for youth:
The program is usually open all year, depending on funding and local capacity.
Youth Employment Services is not a guaranteed wage subsidy with a set amount.
Support may include:
All financial support is reviewed for each person and managed by WorkBC. Employers should talk to their accountant about tax treatment, since wage subsidies are usually taxable income.
Thinking it’s an online grant application
The program runs through WorkBC Centres, not a single provincial form.
Asking for support after hiring
Wage or training supports must usually be approved before the youth starts work.
Offering unpaid or low-skill jobs
Jobs must be paid and help the youth develop real skills.
Not staying in touch with your WorkBC advisor
Ongoing communication is needed to keep supports active.
Q: Is Youth Employment Services a grant or a wage subsidy?
It’s an employment services program. It may include wage subsidies or help with training costs, but these are not guaranteed and are reviewed case by case.
Q: How much funding is available per youth?
There is no fixed amount. Support depends on the job, the youth’s needs, and WorkBC approval.
Q: Is the program open all year?
Yes. Intake is usually ongoing, but depends on funding and local WorkBC capacity.
Q: Can employers choose their own youth hire?
Often yes. WorkBC can approve a youth you already know, as long as they meet eligibility requirements.
Q: Do employers need to be a small business?
No. Both small and larger employers can participate if the job meets program rules.
Youth Employment Services (BC) can be combined with other youth hiring and wage subsidy programs for even more impact. GrantHub tracks active youth employment and wage subsidy programs across Canada, including both provincial and federal options. Checking which ones match your business or career goals is a smart next step—especially if you want to compare supports before meeting with a WorkBC advisor.
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