Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations

Overview of the Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations program:

The YCWHO program helps Canadian students to acquire, through summer jobs and short-term jobs (usually 6 to 16 weeks), the knowledge and skills needed to prepare for the heritage sector labour market, and to consider career choices in the heritage sector. Youth facing barriers to employment are particularly targeted by YCW programs to help them develop their skills and enhance their employability. For example, additional financial assistance can be provided to employers to facilitate the participation of people with disabilities. The specific objectives of YCWHO are: For students: Help youth find short-term employment in order to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to work in the heritage sector to increase their employability; Provide them with opportunities to network with heritage sector professionals; Increase their knowledge and appreciation of significant local and national achievements and of heritage field; Encourage them to consider a career in a heritage field. For the heritage sector: Help heritage organizations maintain their operations in key functions through the work of youth.

Benefits of the Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations program:

• The program contributes approximately 50% of total eligible employment costs (wages, benefits and other eligible expenditures), and may, if justified, contribute a higher percentage.
• During the application assessment process priority will be given to employers proposals that meet Government priorities to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion, including Indigenous organizations, Indigenous youth, Indigenous cultural heritage (First Nations, Inuit or Metis), ethnocultural and official language minority communities, and youth facing barriers to employment.
• If you hire a person with a disability, YCWHO may reimburse a maximum of $3,000 per participant for reasonable costs related to job accommodation requirements. Additional financial support, to help remove barriers to employment, could be granted. For more information, please contact your delivery organization.
• The maximum YCWHO contribution is in general $10,000 per job.

Eligibility criteria of the Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations program:

• An employer may be eligible for funding if it is:
  • An incorporated, non-profit organization in Canada with a heritage mandate such as a museum, archives, a library, or an organization managing built heritage (heritage site);
  • An educational or cultural institution that has distinct objectives, programs and a budget related to heritage;
  • A non-profit organization under a provincial, territorial, regional or municipal government, that has distinct objectives, programs and a budget related to heritage;
  • A professional heritage service organization;
  • An Indigenous regional government or governing body (band or tribal council) and/or Indigenous organization with a mandate to preserve and support Indigenous heritage (First Nations, Inuit and Metis); and stable and financially healthy.
• Note: Priority will be given to employers that submit applications for full-time jobs.