Work-integrated Learning for Employers

WIL gives employers the unique opportunity to develop talent and provide potential future employees with skills and training oriented to their unique needs. Employers who participate in WIL are also helping to strengthen the talent pipeline by exposing students to digital agriculture.

Critical thinking, decision-making, and collaboration are some of the most important skills employers in digital agriculture look for when hiring employees. Employers who hire through WIL programs are able to develop these skill sets, making for a stronger workforce now and in the future.

Funding opportunities

There are many different funding opportunities available to employers year-round. Some programs even offer up to three funding cycles a year. Student placements can have flexible start and end dates, as well as duration.


AgriDiversity Program – Sustainable Canadian Ag Partnership

Check their website for the next application period.

 

The AgriDiversity Program assists Canadian organizations working in the agriculture and agri-food sector to support projects aimed at helping Indigenous Peoples, and other underrepresented and marginalized groups. AAFC will cover a maximum of 70% of eligible costs and funding, up-to $200,000 per year. This program is for not-for-profit organizations and academia organizations.

Apply Here. Visit AgriDiversity Program – agriculture.canada.ca to learn more.

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada YESP

Check their website for the next application period.

This program looks to support jobs for youth in the agriculture and agri-food industry. YESP offers to cover 50% of wages for youth with non-barriers and 80% of salaries of youth facing employment barriers, with a maximum of up to $14,000. Youth facing employment barriers can include Indigenous youth, youth with disability, racialized youth, etc. Applications from Indigenous applicants will be prioritized.

Apply today. Visit YESP to learn more.

BioTalent Student Work Placement Program

Check their website for the next application period.

Biotalent’s SWPP offers employers up to $7,000 in wage subsidies to help hire post-secondary students in STEM, biotechnology, and many other programs. This program looks to support talent development and increase job-readiness.

Learn more about current and future funding opportunities.

BioTalent Career Starter Program

Check their website for the next application period.

BioTalent’s Career Starter Program helps facilitate the transition of barriered youth aged 15-30, into the labour market, and introduce them to a career in the bioeconomy. This program provides employers with 50% of a youth’s salary, with a maximum of $15,000 for a three to six-month job placement.

Learn more about the Career Starter Program.

BioTalent Science Horizons Youth Internship

Accepting applications for 2024.

BioTalent’s Science Horizons Youth Internship Program is a wage subsidy for employers in STEM related fields to hire post-secondary graduates. Employers hire new talent, while students develop their skills and on-the-job experience. Eligible employers can receive up to 80% coverage of a participant’s salary, with a maximum of $25,000. There is an additional wage subsidy of up to $5,000 to cover training or development costs that employers may be eligible for. The internship program must be full-time for six to twelve months. STEM has helped grow the digital agriculture sector with innovative technologies, and address food security. This program is great for those in agri-food, plant proteins, and digital agriculture.

BioTalent Digital Skills for Youth

Currently accepting applications.

The BioTalent Digital Skills for Youth program helps advance digital innovations by enhancing the digital and soft skills of post-secondary graduates through work and training opportunities. Eligible employers can receive 80% in wage subsidies, up to a maximum of $24,000 – a combination of wage subsidies and training costs. The internship must be full-time – at least 30 hours a week – for a minimum duration of 3 months. Employers must be a small or medium sized Canadian organization (under 500 employees) that provides digital internships with skill development training, mentoring, and support.

To see the full list of digital internship and training examples, and how to apply visit Digital Skills for Youth – BioTalent Canada.

CAHRC AGRI Talent

Accepting Applications for Fall 2024.

CAHRC - AGRI Talent logoCAHRC’s Growing Opportunities Student Wage Subsidy Program allows employers to hire post-secondary students as part of a work-integrated learning program. Employers can receive funding up to 50% of wages, to a maximum of $5,000 or up to 70% of wages, to a maximum of $7,000 for placements from underrepresented groups (women in STEM, Indigenous students, newcomers, etc).

Learn more about this program and how it focuses on connecting post-secondary students and employers in the agriculture industry to prepare a strong workforce for Canadian agriculture.

Canada Summer Jobs Grant

Check their website for the next application period.

The Canada Summer Jobs Grant funds experiential learning opportunities. It is a wage subsidy for not-for-profit, public sector, and private sector organizations to employ youth aged 15-30 and create a quality summer work experience. Not-for-profit employers can receive funding up to 100% of the provincial minimum wage, while the public and private sectors can receive up to 50% of the provincial minimum wage. The position must be full time (30-40 hours per week), and must be between 6 to 16 consecutive weeks.

Learn more about funding opportunities.

ICTC WIL Digital Program

Currently accepting applications for Fall 2024 and Winter 2025.

ICTC WIL Digital Program helps employers grow their businesses by providing funding to hire post-secondary students within the digital economy. WIL Digital provides 50% of the student’s salary up to $5,000, or 70% up to $7,000 for underrepresented students. Learn more about applying for WIL Digital Funding.

Reach out to EMILI at info@emilicanada.com to learn more about a fast-track application process for Manitoba digital agriculture companies.

Mitacs Accelerate Program

Applications accepted year-round.

The Mitacs Accelerate program connects organizations with post-secondary students to help solve industry research challenges by providing funding for innovative projects. Students can be from any academic discipline.

Project proposals can be submitted year-round.

Mitacs Indigenous Pathways

Applicable to all Mitacs programs, no submission deadlines.

Mitacs offers further funding to help empower Indigenous innovation, with Mitacs | Indigenous. Partner organizations will only need to contribute 25% of total project costs. To qualify, partner organizations must be at least 50% Indigenous owned, a not-for-profit organization with a board of directors of at least 50% who self-identify as Indigenous, have an Indigenous mandate, or have a self-identified Indigenous intern. This pathway is applicable to all Mitacs programs.

Province of Manitoba First Jobs Fund

Check their website for the next application period.

The First Jobs Fund looks to support non-profit organizations or non-government organizations looking to hire youth between the ages of 15 to 29 who face multiple barriers to employment. Priority will be given to proposals that include paid work opportunities, Indigenous-led organizations, and organizations who support Truth and Reconciliation activities.

Visit First Jobs Fund to learn more and to apply.

Manitoba paid work experience tax credit

Did you know that Manitoba has a Tax Credit for employers who hire students through work-integrated learning programs, apprenticeships, and co-op programs. Here are the hiring incentives that are fully refundable for the Manitoba Paid Work Experience Tax Credit:

  • Youth work experience hiring incentive (25%, lifetime maximum $5,000)
  • Co-op student hiring incentive (15%, lifetime maximum $5,000)
  • Co-op graduate hiring incentive (15%, maximum $2,500)
  • Apprentice hiring incentive (15%, 20% for rural or northern early level, 25% for high school, maximum $5,000)
  • Journeyperson hiring incentive (15%, maximum $5,000)

BioTalent – skills courses

Did you know students hired through a BioTalent program gain free access to training courses that focus on essential and technical skills fundamentals? These are valuable tools for on-boarding students and setting them up for success! Contact Joanne Jordan with any questions concerning these courses: sjjordan@biotalent.ca.

  • Essential Skills Fundamentals – BioTalent Canada – This training focuses on foundational knowledge for learning higher-order concepts, technical and occupation-specific skills. Courses include development of: reading, writing, numeracy, document-use, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.
  • Technical Skills Training – This training program gives learners the opportunity to develop key technical skills and knowledge. The five fundamental courses include: Scientific Report Writing, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC), and Good Clinical Practice (GCP).

Contact Joanne Jordan with any questions about these courses: jjordan@biotalent.ca