Co-operative Education Incentive (CO-OP)
The Co-op Education Incentive (CEI) provides wage assistance to organizations that offer career-related work experiences for university and college co-operative students.
Offered by Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration
Amount
Subsidy of $8 an hour for the wages you pay the student, reimbursing up to 640 hours, plus a diversity bonus of $1.50 per hour; IRAP or SR&ED recipients may receive 50% of the hourly wage up to a maximum subsidy of $10 an hour
Quick eligibility check
Who can apply
40% of funding is targeted to employers from Nova Scotia’s priority sectors. All roles within these sectors are eligible. The program prioritizes provincial strategic sectors:
- offshore and onshore wind
- onshore natural gas and offshore oil and gas
- seafood and agrifood
- mining and critical minerals
- defence/aerospace
- housing/construction
- artificial intelligence/digital
All requested positions must be reviewed by at least one of the institutions on the Co-op Coordinators List (PDF).
Organizations can apply for the subsidy if they:
- are private-sector, non-profit or charitable organization, social enterprise or a municipality
- want to hire a co-operative education student for a work term of 12 to 16 weeks
- will pay the student at least $19.50 per hour (plus vacation pay) for full-time work that meets the requirements of the student’s co-op program
While the minimum wage required for your application to be considered is stated above, your application will be assessed on the competitiveness of the wage for the students you wish to hire.
The student you hire must:
- be enrolled in a work term as part of a co-operative education program at a Nova Scotia university or college
- be returning to studies after their work term (this is a requirement of co-operative education)
If you are not sure if the student you wish to hire is in a qualifying program, please contact their post-secondary institution.
Employers must be sure the work experience will count toward the student’s
academic program. A co-op coordinator at a Nova Scotia university or NSCC must review and approve the position before you apply. A list of co-op programs and co-op coordinators is available on our website.
Employers may not use any other government wage subsidies to pay the student
they hire. Employers who receive project funding may use co-op to hire students but must use operating funding to pay the balance of the salary. The student salary should not be a line-item in the project funding.
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.
The work term you receive funding for must take place in Nova Scotia.
The program will consider the hiring of family members only where it supports the employment of individuals from certain groups that are 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
- Visible minorities (including persons of African descent)
- Persons with disabilities (consisting of a physical, cognitive, or
mental impairment that presents a persistent barrier to work) A fair hiring process includes:
- Advertising the position (which can include language that indicates a
preference for candidates from one of the populations above) Interviews
- A rationale for selection
Not eligible:
provincial government reporting entities are not eligible for funding
Government reporting entities are NOT eligible for CEI funding
About the funding
Employers can hire a co-op student for a work term of 12-16 weeks. You’ll receive a subsidy of $8 an hour for the wages you pay the student. Students must work at least 390 hours during their work term. The program will reimburse up to 640 hours of work.
Employers are eligible for a diversity bonus of $1.50 per hour if they hire a student who self-identifies as Mi’kmaq or Indigenous, African Nova Scotian, a visible minority, a person with a disability, member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, a woman in an occupation where they are under-represented or an international student.
32-week terms are available in some education programs. Confirm with the Co-op Coordinator at the post-secondary institution.
Organizations that receive funds from the Industrial Research Assistance Program
Show all funding details
(IRAP) or the Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit may qualify to receive 50% of the hourly wage you will pay to the student for up to a maximum subsidy of $10 an hour.
We reimburse for actual hours worked to the maximum number of hours approved in the contract.
Similar programs
| Program | Type | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate to Opportunity (GTO) Grow | Subsidy | 25% of the first year's salary and 12.5% of the second year's salary, plus an additional 10% subsidy in the first year for a recent graduate from an equity-deserving group | Open |
| Graduate to Opportunity (GTO) Innovate | Subsidy | 30% of the first year's salary and 15% of the second year's salary, plus an additional 10% subsidy in the first year for a graduate from an equity-deserving group. The subsidy is calculated on salary up to a maximum of $70,000 a year for GTO Innovate. From the sixth graduate onward the rate drops to 15% of the first year's salary and 5% of the second year's salary. | Open |
| START program | Subsidy | Wage incentive plus training, equipment and other costs of a new hire, assessed by ENS on a case-by-case basis, to a maximum of $25,000 per hire | Open |
| Canada Summer Jobs Program | Subsidy | No fixed amount | Open |
