First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience Program
This program provides youth with summer employment opportunities where they can gain work experience and develop important skills such as communication, problem-solving and teamwork.
Call for proposals open
The 2023 to 2024 call for proposals to support activities under the First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience program is now closed. The deadline to submit a proposal was February 7, 2023 at 11:59 pm, Eastern time.
On this page
About the program
The First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience Program is part of the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy.
Projects under the First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience Program allow youth to learn about career options and earn an income that can contribute to a university or college education.
Successful proposals:
- include plans to offer wage subsidies to private sector and non-profit employers so they can hire eligible First Nations and Inuit youth
- help First Nations and Inuit secondary and post-secondary students find summer employment and prepare for entry into the labour market
- enable First Nations and Inuit youth to earn wages
The proposals will support work experience opportunities for First Nations and Inuit secondary and post-secondary students between May 1 and the beginning of the student's fall academic term.
Proposals are accepted for each fiscal year.
Funding recipients will determine the wage rate for participants. It must be at or above the applicable provincial or territorial minimum wage.
Who can apply
- First Nations and Inuit communities
- First Nations and Inuit governments
- First Nations and Inuit organizations
- Not-for-profit associations
- Private sector employers
Successful recipients may offer employment opportunities for youth directly or enter into agreements with private sector and non-profit sector employers to access employment opportunities for youth.
Eligible youth participants
Proposals must provide summer employment for First Nations and Inuit secondary and post-secondary students aged 15 to 30 who are ordinarily resident on reserve, in recognized communities or on community lands.
Ordinarily resident on reserve means that eligible youth:
- live on reserve
- do not maintain a primary residence off reserve
- may be temporarily off reserve for the primary purpose of seeking education
Deadline
The deadline to submit a proposal was February 7, 2023 at 11:59 pm, Eastern time.
How to apply
Applicants must submit detailed proposals for the activities to be undertaken over the course of the agreement.
Proposals must:
- follow program guidelines
- be gender-balanced
- outline the activities that support the program's objectives
- demonstrate that the project will provide assistance only to eligible participants
- provide an estimate of related costs, including those costs shared with partners
- outline the results to be achieved by the project
The proposed placement must provide a minimum of 80 hours of work per participant.
Recipients who have access to the ISC Services Portal can access the proposal form by opening a session on the portal. If you do not have access to the portal, contact your ISC regional office.
To find out more:
- consult the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy: Summer Work Experience Program: National Program Guidelines 2023 to 2024
- e-mail education-education@sac-isc.gc.ca
- call 1-800-567-9604
Proposals are reviewed and approved by the ISC regional office or the First Nations or Inuit organization managing the program for their member communities.
First Nations organizations in British Columbia must apply through the First Nations Education Steering Committee.