BioTalent — Science Horizons Youth Internship
Highlights
The Science Horizons Youth Internship Program is designed to help your business grow by providing a substantial wage subsidy. You can receive up to 80% of a participant’s salary, with a maximum of $25,000. This reduces your financial risk while allowing you to hire talented graduates eager to contribute to your company.
What You Get:
- Up to $25,000 in wage subsidies
- An additional $5,000 for training and skills development
Why Apply?
- Access to skilled talent: Hire graduates ready to bring fresh ideas and skills to your business.
- Financial relief: Lower your hiring costs significantly.
- Business growth: Invest in new talent without the usual financial strain.
This program is easier to qualify for than many others, and approval can be swift, taking up to 10 business days. By participating, you not only gain financial support but also contribute to the development of the next generation of professionals in the bio-economy and healthcare sectors.
Financing Details
Type of Financing: Wage Subsidy
Repayment Terms and Interest Rates:
- There are no repayment terms or interest rates. This is a subsidy, not a loan.
Eligible Expenses:
- Up to 80% of a participant’s salary, with a maximum of $25,000.
- Additional funding up to $5,000 for training, skills development, and wrap-around services.
Use of Funds:
- Funds can be used to cover the salary of new hires in environment-related STEM fields.
- Funds can also be used for training and skills development of the new hires.
Restrictions on Use of Funds:
- Funds cannot be used to pay for existing employees.
- Funds cannot be used for any expenses not related to the salary or training of the new hire.
Fees:
- There are no fees associated with this program.
Qualifications
- Must be a bio-economy or healthcare organization.
- Internship must be in an environment-related STEM field.
- Internship must be full-time with a duration between 6-12 months.
- Must establish and maintain a process for supervising and mentoring an intern.
- Must provide a work environment that is safe, respectful, inclusive, free of harassment, abuse, and discrimination, and in compliance with all applicable laws.
- Participant must be new to the organization.
- Participant must be aged 30 or under at the beginning of the internship.
- Participant must be a graduate from a post-secondary institution (Canadian or International).
- Participant must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a person granted refugee status in Canada.
- Participant must be legally entitled to work in Canada according to relevant provincial and Canadian legislation and regulations.
- Participant must not be in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.
- Participant must agree with in-person and virtual midpoints.
- Participant must not have participated in any of The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Programs targeted at post-secondary graduates.
- Internship must not be funded by another federally-funded program like IRAP, Mitacs, etc.
- Participant must be added to the employer’s payroll, which includes Federal/Provincial tax deductions (CPP, EI, etc.).
Work experience must offer skills development and training opportunities, be related to the interests and pursuits of youth, offer a salary above the minimum wage, or offer opportunities for advancement.
Disqualifications:
- Internship funded by another federally-funded program like IRAP, Mitacs, etc.
- Participant in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.
- Participant who has participated in any of The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Programs targeted at post-secondary graduates.
Description
This program offers your business a chance to receive up to $25,000 to cover 80% of a participant's salary. This can help you hire new talent in the environmental STEM field with less financial risk.
You can also get up to $5,000 for training, skills development, and other services. This means you can invest in your new hires, making them even more valuable to your team.
The program is designed to help you grow your business by hiring eager graduates who are ready to contribute. It’s a great way to bring fresh ideas and skills into your company while reducing the cost of hiring.
Program Steps
Gather Required Documentation: Prepare the following documents to support your application:
- Business registration or incorporation documents
- Financial statements (balance sheet, income statement)
- Business plan detailing the internship role and its relevance to the bio-economy or healthcare sector
- Proof of participant eligibility (age, citizenship, education)
- Training and skills development plan
Complete the Application Form: Fill out the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program application form. Ensure all sections are completed accurately.
Submit Pre-Approval Request: Send the pre-approval request to Jennifer Ash, Project Manager, before submitting for reimbursement. Include the completed application form and supporting documents.
Wait for Pre-Approval: Allow up to 10 business days for the pre-approval process. Ensure the participant does not start the internship until pre-approval is received.
Add Participant to Payroll: Once pre-approval is granted, add the participant to your payroll. Ensure all federal and provincial tax deductions (CPP, EI, etc.) are in place.
Implement Internship: Begin the internship, ensuring it meets the program requirements such as full-time work, duration between 6-12 months, and a safe, respectful work environment.
Supervise and Mentor: Establish and maintain a process for supervising and mentoring the intern. Provide regular feedback and support to ensure a valuable learning experience.
Submit Claim Form: At the end of the internship, fill out and submit the specific claim form along with supporting documentation for reimbursement.
Receive Reimbursement: Upon approval of the claim form, receive reimbursement for the participant’s salary and any eligible training or skills development expenses.
