START program

Who can apply

Employer eligibility

START is available to small or medium-sized employers, including businesses, not-for-profit organizations and social enterprises, that are located in Nova Scotia and whose employees live and work in the province. These employers may have headquarters outside Nova Scotia but must have a physical location in the province and must have employees working in the province.

Employers need to apply and be approved for the START Program by an ENS representative before they hire an employee. If you hire a new employee before applying and being approved for START, you won't be eligible for funding.

Pre-Application Conditions Before applying for START, it is important to be aware of the following:

1. An employer can submit only one (1) application for START.
2. A potential employee (or START “match”) must submit an application with the assistance

of a local Nova Scotia Works Centre. They cannot be approved for the START program without completing this step.

• A complete application must prove that the employer:

1. Has workplace accident/injury insurance coverage for employees (coverage details must

be provided on the application)

1. Is in compliance with the Registry of Joint Stock Companies requirements because most

businesses and non-profits need to register before they start operating. (ENS will confirm this through a search of the Registry Database.)

Employer Eligibility

START is available to all businesses and organizations (Not for profit and Social Enterprises1) including those under the direction and ownership of Band Councils in Nova Scotia that have business locations and jobs in Nova Scotia.

Companies with headquarters outside of Nova Scotia are eligible to apply only if they also have a physical location in Nova Scotia.

START funding is prioritized to assist small (less than 100 staff) to medium (less than 500 staff) sized enterprises.2

Individual Eligibility

To apply for the START Program as an individual, they must be:

1. Unemployed and actively seeking full time or increasing employment, and

• A resident of Nova Scotia, and

1. Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

• They may self-identify as one or more of the following groups: o Mi’kmaq or Indigenous

1. Recent graduates (within the last three years)
2. Persons with disabilities
3. Recent immigrants (within the last three years)

o African Nova Scotians

1. Visible minority (including Persons of African Descent)

o Acadian and francophone Nova Scotians

1. Workers over 55 years of age

o Youth o Women

1. Income assistance recipients
2. Persons who were formerly self-employed
3. Persons who have been out of the labour market for a length of time
4. Persons who are entering the labour market for the first time
5. Persons who have low levels of literacy and essential skills.

The START Program is also available to unemployed International Graduates who meet the

following requirements:

1. Must have graduated from a Nova Scotia (NS) public post–secondary institution, such as

a college, trade/technical school, university, or private post-secondary institution;

1. OR a NS private institution that is authorized under the Private Career Colleges Act only if

the graduate was enrolled in a program that led to a degree authorized by NS;

1. Not all programs of study authorized by private institutions are eligible for START.
2. Graduates must have studied in NS for at least 2 years, but not necessarily consecutively.
3. This means the student graduated with a Canadian post–secondary credential that

requires at least two academic years of study.

1. There is one (1) exception which applies only to one-year graduate degrees. One-

year certificates and diplomas do not qualify for the exception. Graduates must meet the following criteria:

− The graduate completes a one-year graduate degree in NS after completing another program of at least one academic year in Canada; and − Both credentials are from a post–secondary institution recognized by NS; and − The programs are completed within two years of each other.

1. The Graduate must have a valid post graduate work permit;
2. The Occupation must be a NOC (National Occupational Classification) code O, A or B

(professional occupations);

1. The position funded through START must be available for a minimum duration of one year.

Eligible and Ineligible Types of Employment Eligible Employment

1. Must be for a minimum of 30 hours per week

o A minimum of 15 hours of employment per week may be considered for:

■ recently established small businesses creating a part-time position which will eventually develop into a full-time position, or ■ cases where special accommodations need to be considered for Persons with Disabilities, or ■ cases where this level of employment is the norm for the industry.

It is ENS’ expectation that the wage incentive will lead to ongoing employment with the employer receiving START funding, or a subsequent employer. However, the incentive may be applied to a short- term job (one that has a defined start and end date with little likelihood of continuing), if:

1. It is providing valuable work experience with transferable skills, AND
2. It will significantly improve the employee’s chances of obtaining subsequent employment with

another employer.

OR

1. The job is related to a priority sector (Ocean Technology, Information Communication

Technology, Financial Services, Clean Technology, Aerospace and Defense, Life Sciences) or industry (Agriculture, Forestry) where a short-term contract is being implemented.