Beverlee Rasmussen CEC PCC I often hear small business owners say they need help, but can’t afford to hire anyone. The 2022 Canada Summer Jobs grant is the perfect solution to that problem.
Hire a talented student to work at your business for the summer and get up to 50% of their wages covered (100% for non-profits) by the Canadian government. All you need to do is apply before January 25th, 2022.
Here, I’ve summarized key details so you can decide if this grant is right for your small business.
What is the Canada Summer Jobs Grant?
This grant is intended to give quality work experience to youth in Canada by reimbursing employers for wages. This means that employers provide full-time (30-40 hrs per week) work contracts between 6-16 weeks in length. Contracts must be in Canada can start as early as April 25, 2022, with the contract ending no later than September 3, 2022.
A quality work experience also means that the employer:
- Invests in their hire by paying above minimum wage, or commits to long-term employment for the student.
- Promises to provide quality leadership, support and feedback
- Mentors the student to help develop their career
- Teach tactical and strategic skills to help them maintain employment
- Provide a safe place work both for physical and mental health. (Ie. Covid policies, anti-discrimination policies, work safety measures)
Who’s eligible?
You can hire a student if you are a non-profit company or in the public or private sector. It’s great for small business owners because private sector businesses have to have 50 or fewer full-time employees to be eligible for funding. You were meant for this grant!
With this grant, you don’t necessarily have to hire a student. The requirements are that you hire someone who is:
- between 15-30 years old
- legally allowed to work in Canada
- only employed under one Canada summer jobs grant (they can’t work for you and someone else who is also using the CSJ)
- not your family member
- not displacing or replacing current employees/volunteers
*International students are not eligible because the goal is to support long-term participation in the Canadian labour market. This grant can’t be used for self-employment.
When do you need to apply by?
The deadline to apply is January 25th, 2022 at 12 pm PST.
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) will let you know if you are approved for funding by April 2022. Hire your student as early as April 25th and no later than July 24th, 2022. You need to finish the employment contract by September 3rd, 2022.
You need to submit your reimbursement claim within 30 days of the contract completion date.
Where can you apply?
Head to the Government of Canada’s website. You can apply online, in person or by mail.
Apply to the Canada Summer Jobs grant today!
I’ve applied for this grant multiple times before. I’m happy to say I’ve worked with talented, committed students— two of which are now full-time employees. It’s worth the effort to apply for this grant. What may start as short-term help, could turn into long-term freedom for you and a great working experience for your employee.
You can find a detailed breakdown of application requirements and processes in the CSJ Applicants Guide.
Until next time, enjoy your Entrepreneurial Journey!
