Talent Opportunities Program (TOP)

Amount:

$7,000.00

Type:

Subsidy

Description:

The Talent Opportunities Program (TOP) is an initiative of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce designed to help employers located anywhere in Canada hire college and university students on work-integrate learning (WIL) placements. Employers hiring eligible students may receive a wage subsidy up to 50% (up to a maximum of $7,000) per placement.

Comments on Funding:

Funding is a wage subsidy of:
– 50% of the wages (to a maximum of $5,000) for each net new placement.
– 70% of the wages (to a maximum of $7,000) for each net new placement for under-represented groups.

Deadline:

The application portal is open for the Summer 2024 term (May – August 2024).

Eligibility:

Employers:
1. must be registered, Canadian business or not-for-profit;
2. must be registered Canadian businesses or not-for-profit organizations;
2. may be located anywhere in Canada;
3. may operate in any industry sector;
4. must hire college and university students on work placements.
5. must be committed to paying the student in full for the duration of the placement (the wage subsidy will be administered after receiving all supporting information and documents, including pay stubs, at the end of the placement term);
6. must be in compliance with all federal, provincial, and territorial human rights and labour legislation, regulations, and any other relevant standards, such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Employment Standards Act in Ontario, and any similar legislation in other jurisdictions;
7. must be covered by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) or alternate workplace insurance;
8. must be only submitting applications for placements that are not subsidized by the federal government under another funding program.
Exclusions: 1. Federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal governments. Organizations which are extensions of a federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal government, such as crown corporations, hospitals, public long-term care facilities, and post-secondary institutions are not eligible;
2. Members of the House of Commons and the Senate. 3. Organizations that engage in partisan political activities. 4. Major financial sector employers (see FAQs for more information). 5. Please note that this list of exclusions may not be exhaustive. The OCC reserves the right to amend eligibility criteria at our discretion.
Students hired on work placements must:
1. be registered as a domestic student at a recognized Canadian college or university;
2. be enrolled in a program or course where a work placement is part of their study plan;
3. be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
4. be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant federal, provincial or territorial legislation and regulations;
5. be registered in a full-time or part-time program in any field of study;
6. be part of underrepresented groups, including:
a) women in STEM;
b) Indigenous students; c) newcomers;
d) persons with disabilities; e) visible minority;
f) first-year students.
7. International students are not eligible.

Application Steps:

Application process:
1. Employers must create an account and login on the online portal at http://occ.magnet.today/. those who already have a Magnet account, may log in with their existing Magnet credentials.
2. Once logged in, they will find a link that mentions the Student Work Placement Program – SWPP. Please click the “Apply Now” box to be taken to the application portal.
3. After an application is submitted, the student will be invited to complete the online student information form and sign the student agreement. Employers may collect the Student Agreement and upload the document when submitting their application, otherwise the student will be asked to submit the document when completing the student information form. Note: A signed Student Agreement is required for application approval.
4. When an application is granted conditional approval, the employer will be required to sign a recipient agreement and funds will be set aside for the wage subsidy. Employers are encouraged to review the Recipient Agreement and the terms of conditions contained therein prior to submitting an application.

Documentation Needed:

The following documents will also need to be uploaded:
1. Employment contract or letter;
2. Proof of Canadian citizen, permanent resident or refugee status (accepted documents include government issued ID, such as a passport, birth certificate, permanent resident card, etc.; SIN cards are not acceptable);
3. Proof of enrollment (i.e. a document from the student’s post-secondary institution indicating the student is registered in a program or course where a work-integrated learning component is part of their study plan, such as a co-op document, letter from school, etc. that clearly shows this information).

Other Things to Note:

The application portal is open for the Summer 2024 term (May – August 2024).

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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