Graduate to Opportunity (GTO) Grow

Who can apply

GTO Grow is for Nova Scotia employers looking to hire a recent graduate into a new, permanent, full-time position that pays at least $37,500 a year.

Employers can be from any sector and hire graduates for jobs related to their field of study.

You can apply for the subsidy if you fall into any of these categories:

1. a small business with fewer than 100 employees
2. a start-up company incorporated within 2 years of the application date
3. a social enterprise, non-profit organization or registered charity with recognized standing

The graduate you hire must have successfully completed a post-secondary program within 1 year of their first day of work (see the list of recognized post-secondary institutions). Apprentices in registered trades aren't eligible for the Graduate to Opportunity program. If you want to hire an apprentice, you need to apply for the START program.

The program can't consider graduate-employees who work for the employer on a permanent basis before the GTO application is approved.

Defining Nova Scotia Employers Your organization must be registered and operating in Nova Scotia (e.g., registered with Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stocks). If your registration is extra-provincial, you must provide details about your Nova Scotia operations.

Please note, in most cases:

1. A physical location is not required, but the majority of your employees must live and

work in Nova Scotia.

1. Human resources activities, such as providing pay advice, T4s and Records of

Employment should be handled by the Nova Scotia location.

1. If you are not sure whether your organization meets these requirements, please

contact us before making an application.

If your organization is part of a priority sector and does not meet these requirements, please contact us to discuss eligibility.

Eligible Organization Size and Structure At the time of application employers must be in good standing with and not in violation of Immigration, Labour Standards and Safety rules and regulations at LSI. The Department will confirm your standing directly with the regulator.

GTO Grow is available to Nova Scotia businesses of fewer than 100 full-time employees, start-up companies incorporated within two years of the application date, social enterprises, not-for-profit organizations, and registered charities.

If your organization is part of a priority sector and does not meet these requirements, please contact us to discuss eligibility.

Determining Employee Count:

Include the total number of employees working at all locations of your organization or related organizations (regardless of the legal structure of each) in your application.

1. If your organization is part of an amalgamated group of businesses, the finances are

consolidated with a parent organization for reporting or tax purposes, or otherwise closely linked, the total employee count of all entities must be included in your application. The T4 Summary or summaries you submit must show this total number.

1. Franchises are only eligible for GTO if they are headquartered in Nova Scotia and have

an eligible employee count across all locations. Independently owned operations franchised from companies headquartered outside Nova Scotia are not eligible.

Eligible Jobs/Positions The position you fill using GTO funding must be new to your organization. That is to say that the new employee must increase your organization’s total employee count. You cannot use GTO to replace staff or fill existing vacancies.

The new graduate must become an employee of your organization with a guaranteed minimum annual salary of at least $37,500 for GTO Grow and $60,000 for GTO Innovate (before vacation pay and any other benefits). This amount cannot be contingent on work performed or commissions earned. Contract or fee-for-service positions are not eligible for GTO.

GTO cannot be combined with other government wage funding, i.e., “stacking” of funding is not permitted. You may receive government funds for related projects, as long as the salary or wage for the GTO-funded position is not a line-item of that funding.

Graduate-Employees You can hire any recent post-secondary graduate through GTO Grow. The graduate must have completed a degree or diploma-granting post-secondary program (generally two years or longer).

In most cases, a certificate for a program shorter than two years can only be used to determine eligibility for GTO Grow if the graduate has completed the certificate within 12 months of completing a degree or diploma program. However, a graduate who has completed a one-year direct-entry certificate program may also be eligible. Please contact your Agreement Manager to confirm.

For the purposes of the program a recent graduate:

1. Has completed a degree or diploma-granting post-secondary program within 12 months

of the employment start date.

1. Has graduated from a post- secondary institution designated by Employment and Social

Development Canada. A list of these can be found at this website.

1. Provides proof that they have successfully completed all requirements for their

program of study (degree, diploma, or letter from the institution that shows the date requirements were completed).

Please note:

1. The graduate you hire cannot start work until your application is approved. Applications

from employers who have selected a graduate will be considered as long as the graduate has not started work. We review most applications within 2 weeks.

1. The graduate must not be an existing full-time employee. If they have worked for your

organization in the past (on contract, part time, or as a co-op student) be sure to let your Agreement Manager know.

1. Once hired, the employee must live and work in Nova Scotia. If you are recruiting from

outside the province, the employee must be living at an NS address before the first payment is issued.

Important The position offered to the graduate should relate to their diploma, certificate, or degree. For example, a culinary arts graduate would be appropriately employed as a cook or chef, but not as a receptionist or carpenter. Similarly, there are many types of work that a graduate could take on with an engineering degree, but we would not be able to support that graduate working as a cook.

The program will support the hiring of family members only where it supports the employment of individuals from groups underrepresented in the labour market, and where the employer has followed a fair hiring process.

Individuals who self-identify as one or more of the following may be eligible:

• Mi’kmaq or Indigenous • African Nova Scotians

1. Visible minorities (including persons of African descent)
2. Persons with disabilities (consisting of a physical, cognitive, or mental impairment that

presents a persistent barrier to work) A fair hiring process includes:

1. Advertising the position (which can include language that indicates a preference for

candidates from one of the populations above) • Interviews

1. A rationale for selection

Subsequent Applications You may receive either kind of GTO funding for more than one new position, although we generally require an interval of at least six months between applications. The number of supported positions may be limited by budget availability.

The program can only consider one position per application.

Please keep the following in mind if you are making a second or subsequent application:

1. You must have filled any previous positions approved under the program.
2. You must not have an active GTO agreement that has a vacancy because the graduate

has left or been dismissed.

1. The graduate in any active agreement must have been working for six months or more

before a new application is approved.