Apply! Canada Summer Jobs wage subsidy

Attention all not-for-profit, public and private sector small business organizations - apply now to hire a student this summer using the Canada Summer Jobs wage subsidy! I spoke with our MP recently and he is worried that we won't get enough applicants to use all the funding - which has doubled since last year. Not-for-profit employers get funding for 100% of minimum wage, and public and private sector employers get funding for up to 50% of the minimum wage. Students must be hired for between 6 and 16 consecutive weeks. The federal government's Canada Summer Jobs program application deadline has been extended until March 11, 2016.

Canada Summer Jobs:

provides work experiences for students;
supports organizations, including those that provide important community services; and
recognizes that local circumstances, community needs and priorities vary widely.

Canada Summer Jobs provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for young people aged 15 to 30 years who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year. Get detailed Canada Summer Jobs information by clicking here. The application period for Canada Summer Jobs 2016 is from January 4, 2016 to March 11, 2016 ~~February 26, 2016~~. Apply Line by Clicking Here Download Application Form Here (PDF)

Wage Subsidy

Not-for-profit employers are eligible to receive funding for up to 100% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage. Public and private sector employers are eligible to receive funding for up to 50% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage. Refer to your provincial or territorial legislation to confirm the minimum wage. PEI minimum wage is currently $10.50 / hour and moving to $10.75 / hour on June 1, 2016 and then $11.00 / hour on October 1, 2016. An employer may choose to pay more than the minimum wage; however, the percentage reimbursed will apply only to the applicable provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage. For example, if a private sector employer pays a student $12.00 per hour in a province where the minimum hourly wage is $10.50, the subsidy provided will be 50% of the minimum wage, i.e. $5.25.

Eligible Participants

To be eligible, students must:

be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment;
have been registered as full-time students in the previous academic year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis in the next academic year;
be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act²; and,
be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

Eligible Employers

Employers from the not-for-profit, public and private sector may apply for wage subsidies under the Canada Summer Jobs initiative. Private sector employers must have 50 or fewer full-time employees across Canada to be eligible. Full-time employees are those working 30 hours or more per week. Not-for-Profit Employers Entities under the “not-for-profit” category are established for purposes other than financial gain for their members. This category includes:

churches and religious organizations;
community, charitable or voluntary organizations;
associations of workers or employers as well as professional and industrial organizations;
Chambers of Commerce;
labour management and adjustment committees;
bands, tribal councils and other Aboriginal organizations established on a “not-for-profit” basis;
ad hoc groups established on a “not-for-profit” basis, including groups representing clients; and,
cooperatives recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as registered charities and non-profit organizations pursuant to paragraph 149 (1) (f) and (l) of the Income Tax Act.

Public Sector Employers Public sector employers include public health and public educational institutions and municipal governments. This category includes:

public hospitals, nursing homes, senior citizen homes, rehabilitation homes, etc.;
public community colleges and vocational schools;
public degree-granting universities and colleges;
school boards and their elementary and secondary institutions;
band schools; and,
municipal and regional legislative bodies and departments.

Private Sector Employers Private sector entities are established in order to generate a profit or to provide an economic advantage to their proprietors, members or shareholders. This category includes:

bodies, incorporated or unincorporated, including partnerships and sole proprietorships;
cooperatives;
self-employed persons;
Aboriginal organizations established on a “for-profit” basis;
federal Crown corporations operating in a competitive environment and not ordinarily dependent on appropriations for operating purposes as indicated in Schedule III, Part II of the Financial Administration Act;
provincial and territorial Crown corporations recognized as operating in a competitive environment and not ordinarily dependent on appropriations for operating purposes;
private health and educational institutions; and,
independent owners of franchises.