Youth Employment Program

Youth Employment Strategy:

The Youth Employment Strategy (YES) is the Government of Canada's commitment to help Canadian youth get the work experience, knowledge, skills and information they need to prepare for, and participate in, the world of work. The YES also assists employers who hire youth.

The Strategy is delivered through the collective efforts of fourteen Government of Canada departments and agencies, and is spearheaded by the  Department of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSDC). YES brings together employment programs and services for youth, and initiatives created through partnerships with business, labour, industry, not-for-profit and voluntary organizations, Aboriginal and rural and remote communities, and other levels of government. Since 1997, the Government of Canada has helped over 3 million young Canadians through the YES and other targeted youth programs.

NRC-IRAP delivers the Internship Program with Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises on behalf of the YES. This program provides firms with support to hire post-secondary graduates. Both firms and graduates benefit from this program: firms benefit from the graduate's expertise in a diverse variety of disciplines and graduates gain valuable work experience that will help open the doors for future employment:

• Internship Program with Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)

This program is funded by the Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada.

Internship Program with Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)

This program provides financial assistance to innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Canada to hire post-secondary science, engineering, technology, business and liberal arts graduates. Graduates work on innovative projects within the SME and may participate in research, development and commercialization of technologies. In some cases, SMEs may be collaborating with a National Research Council (NRC) institute or with Industry Canada's Communications Research Centre (CRC). In addition to meeting the needs of innovative SMEs, this program will facilitate the transition of highly skilled young people to a rapidly changing labour market.

The program is an initiative of the Youth Employment Strategy (YES) of the Government of Canada with funds from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC).

SME Eligibility

To be eligible for these programs, your firm must:

Graduate Eligibility

To be eligible for one of these programs, a graduate must:

Benefits

Your firm will receive financial support towards the employment of post-secondary graduates, who will work on technical opportunities in the firm and on non-technical but technology related projects such as:

Graduates will gain valuable work experience that will help open the doors to future employment.

What is the process?

Your firm and an NRC-IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor will develop and submit a project proposal. Upon commencement of the internship, the graduate will complete a brief survey to be submitted to NRC-IRAP, which will highlight the graduate's strengths and weaknesses in the work environment.

When the internship is finished, the graduate, your firm and NRC-IRAP will evaluate the experience. The evaluations will help determine if the internships are achieving their objectives.

Internships last between six to twelve months and are available anywhere in Canada. NRC's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) is responsible for delivering the program through its 240 professionals situated in 100 communities from coast to coast.

Maximum support provided will be $30,000 to help cover a part of the graduate's salary. Your firm is responsible for covering other expenses such as fringe benefits and overhead costs.

To Apply:

SMEs:

Contact the nearest NRC-IRAP office by calling our toll free number: 1-877-994-4727.

Post-Secondary Graduates :

Can apply by using campus recruitment offices, HRSDC regional offices, or by contacting SMEs directly.

Related Information

Institutes:

• NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program