In addition to the workplace benefits you'll receive from becoming a co-op or internship employer, there are financial resources available to help you fund co-op or internship student positions.
Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)
This program has 12 delivery partners that offer funding opportunities for employers to hire students for the purposes of work-integrated learning. Canadian Employers are eligible to receive at least a 50% wage subsidy of up to a maximum $5,000.
BC Funding Programs
Employers hiring students for WIL can receive grants to subsidize wages through the Innovate BC’s Tech Grants program, and the Innovator Skills Initiative Grant program. The BC Arts Council’s Co-op Placement Program is also available for arts and cultural organizations in BC.
Mitacs Business Development Internship
The CC-BSI award will provide $10,000 per co-op or internship student to undertake a 12-16 week development project to help organizations restore or modify their business operations in a new business environment. Participating partner organizations will contribute $5,000 for a total award of $10,000 to be used towards a student stipend.
Canada Summer Jobs
The program provides wage subsidies to employers from not-for-profit organizations, the public sector, and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees, to create quality summer work experiences for young people aged 15 to 30 years. Funded employers are not restricted to hiring students — all youth aged 15 to 30 years may be eligible participants.
Applications are open from late December to late January each year, with notice of approval provided in late April.