Career Starter Program

Amount:

$20,000.00

Type:

Subsidy

Description:

The Career Starter Program will facilitate the transition of barriered youth into the labour market and increase their knowledge of the sector’s needs through recent and practical work experience.
Career Starter provides bio-economy employers with 50% of a youth’s salary to a maximum of $20,000 in wage subsidies for a three to nine-month job placement. This will help the employer adopt a diverse and inclusive work culture while satisfying their need for skilled labour.

Comments on Funding:

Funding is 50% of the youth’s salary to a maximum of $ 20,000 in wage subsidies for a 3 to 9-months placement.
Employers must contribute as at least 50% of the total salary of each participant.
This position must not be funded by another Federally funded program like IRAP, Mitacs, etc.

Deadline:

no longer accepting applicants.

Eligibility:

Applicants must:
1. be organizations which are part of the economic sector represented by BioTalent Canada, including:
a) Indigenous-led organizations;
b) bio-economy and green companies;
c) not-for-profit organizations in biotechnology and nonbiotechnology;
d) small industry organizations (more than 5, less than 99 employees);
e) medium industry organizations (more than 100, less than 500 employees);
f) large industry organizations (more than 500 employees);
g) micro industry organizations (less than 5 employees);
h) municipal, provincial or territory government;
i) academia;
j) grant advisors/funding consultants;
k) industry associations/ Accelerators;
l) industry service providers;
m) utility organizations.
2. maintain an internal process for supervising and mentoring for the participant;
3. provide a full-time position for 3 months to 9 months;
4. provide a job coach for a minimum of 2.5 hours a month;
5. submit a progress report upon request and,
6. contribute as at least 50% of the total salary of each participant.

Interns must:
1. be no younger than 15 and no older than 30 years of age;
2. identifying as a barriered youth including the following but not limited to:
a) involuntary NEET (not in education, employment, training) for at least 4 months;
b) with disability;
c) Indigenous;
d) a recent immigrant and/or refugee;
e) a visible minority;
f) LGBTQ2 +;
g) homeless or at risk of becoming homeless;
h) living in a low-income household;
i) residing in a rural or remote location;
j) living with family care responsibilities;
k) affected by substance use;
l) currently in, coming out of, or who have had involvement in the justice system;
m) in or ageing out of care;
n) living with low levels of literacy and numeracy.
3. be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons who have been granted refugee status in Canada;
4. be legally entitled to work in Canada according to the relevant provincial and Canadian legislation and regulations;
5. be new hires and cannot have started employment at the organization;
6. not be in school full-time (part-time students can apply);

Application Steps:

Applicants must:
1. complete and submit the Participant Information Form (PIF). If submitting electronically, please do not include the participant’s date of birth and Social Insurance Number. If applicants need to fill a position, they can post their job opening on The PetriDishTM job board.
2. provide a resume of the participant;
3. complete an Employer Application Form (included in the application package) including the annual salary (e.g. 52 weeks) for the position.
4. submit a brief company description and a description of the intended participant’s position;
5. submit a formal Coaching Plan must be submitted before the placement begins;
6. submit all completed forms to Ewaen Akinya at funding@biotalent.ca. Signatures must be digitally dated and time stamped or hand written. A typed signature in cursive font is not accepted.

If the application is accepted, BioTalent Canada will draft a Placement Contract (electronic contract via PandaDocs) to be signed by the employer, participant and BioTalent Canada.

Documentation Needed:

Applicants must submit:
1. the participant’s resume;
2. a brief company description;
3. a description of the intended participant’s position;
4. a formal Coaching Plan.

Other Things to Note:

The Career Starter Program is no longer accepting applicants.
The program is funded in part by Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Skills Strategy Program.
Program forms updated February 2022.

Maurice

About the author

Maurice

Maurice (Moe) Muise learned the ins-and-outs of government while an employee of the Government of Canada in Ottawa for 10 years. His current focus is helping small businesses in Canada to identify and maximize funding to grow their business.

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