Talent Opportunities Program

Overview of the Talent Opportunities Program program:

If your company is looking to hire post-secondary students to participate in cooperative education and internships, this grant offers to cover 50 to 70% of their wage, adding up from $5,000 to $7,000 of total payment.

Benefits of the Talent Opportunities Program program:

• Employers hiring eligible students may receive a wage subsidy up to 50% of the wages (to a maximum of $5,000) for each net new placement or 70% of the wages (to a maximum of $7,000)
• As a company, you will:
  • Develop young talent without risking your funds
  • Add diversity to your company
• As a student, you will:
  • Develop and improve technical and employability skills (e.g., strategic thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, etc.)
  • Gain work experience and connections to employers in fields related to their academic studies
  • Acquire clarity on career path decisions
  • Access higher earnings and employment opportunities upon graduation

Eligibility criteria of the Talent Opportunities Program program:

• Requirements to apply for this grant:
• For employers:
  • Be a registered Canadian business or not-for-profit organization located anywhere in Canada.
  • Willing to provide a quality work-integrated learning experience to a post-secondary student.
  • Committed to pay the student in full for the duration of the placement.
  • Comply with all federal, provincial, and territorial human rights and labor legislation, regulations, and any other relevant standards, such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Employment Standards Act in Ontario, and any similar legislation in other jurisdictions.
  • Covered by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) or alternate workplace insurance.
  • Not be subsidized by the federal government under another funding program.
  • Exclusions:*
  • Federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal governments.
  • Organizations that are extensions of a federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal government, such as crown corporations, hospitals, public long-term care facilities, and post-secondary institutions are not eligible.
  • Members of the House of Commons and the Senate.
  • Organizations that engage in partisan political activities.
  • Major and other financial sector employers, including businesses that underwrite loans (see FAQs PDF for more information).
  • Please note that this list of exclusions may not be exhaustive. The OCC reserves the right to amend eligibility criteria at our discretion.*
• For students:
  • Registered as a domestic student in a recognized Canadian post-secondary institution (See list of eligible institutions on FAQs PDF, if your post-secondary institution is not listed, send email for clarification)
  • Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
  • Legally entitled to work in Canada under relevant federal, provincial, or territorial legislation and regulations.
  • Registered in a program or course with a work-integrated learning component as part of their study plan.
  • Registered in a full-time or part-time program in any field of study.
  • Exclusions:*
  • International students are not eligible