What is the Student Work Placement Program?
The Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) Powered by Magnet brings together employers, students, and post-secondary school stakeholders to create quality work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities.
The program provides employers with wage subsidies to hire post-secondary students for paid work experiences. Students in turn benefit with quality work experience so they can secure employment in their chosen fields of study.
Benefits of the Student Work Placement Program
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed Canada’s social and economic landscape, leaving a significant impact on hiring capacity, operations, and business growth opportunities.
SWPP is an opportunity for employers of all sizes and industries to build a talent pipeline while offsetting costs.
Apply for funding
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Hiring a Student
Outcome Campus Connect is Canada’s largest online student recruitment tool. Employers using Magnet can use the Outcome Campus Connect functionality to send job postings to 85+ post-secondary institutions with a single posting.
Employers can target students based on region, school, and program of study, and recruit students from underrepresented groups.
Hire and apply for funding
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How the program works
The program is delivered by a range of recognized associations and organizations who represent key industries and sectors in Canada.
Together, they partner with colleges, universities, polytechnics and CEGEPs to:
- Provide wage subsidies to employers that offer quality student work placements
- Create recruitment opportunities to match students to the right placements
- Convene educators and employers to help align PSE curricula to the skills needs of industry
Funding is limited and administered on a first-come, first-served basis wherein completed applications are prioritized in the order they are received.
- 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 including women in STEM, Indigenous students, newcomers, and persons with disabilities, visible minority as well as first-year students.
For more information, please contact us at swpp@magnetnetwork.ca
Winter 2025
During the month of December, we will be accepting applications for Winter 2025 (funding term: January 1 to March 31, 2025).
We have limited funding and applications submitted at this time will be added to a waitlist. We will begin reviewing applications on the waitlist in January on a “first come, first serve basis”. You will be notified by email if we are moving forward with your application.
Magnet is one of 18 SWPP delivery partners across Canada. If we are unable to accommodate your application, you’ll be directed to an alternative delivery partner in an effort to help you secure funding.
Office hours:
Want to learn more about Magnet’s Student Work Placement Program? Join our team for office hours and find out how your business can receive funding to hire a student this winter. Get all your questions answered about the program including eligibility requirements.
Funding is limited and administered on a first-come, first-served basis, so don’t delay.
Tuesdays 1:00 pm EST
- – December 3, 2024 01:00 PM
- – December 10, 2024 01:00 PM
- – December 17, 2024 01:00 PM
- – January 7, 2025 01:00 PM
- – January 14, 2025 01:00 PM
- Time shows in Eastern Time
Fall 2024
We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2024 (funding term: September 1 to December 31, 2024). We have limited funding and applications submitted at this time will be added to a waitlist. We will begin reviewing applications on the waitlist in September on a “first come, first serve basis”. You will be notified by email if we are moving forward with your application.
Magnet is one of 18 SWPP delivery partners across Canada. If we are unable to accommodate your application, you’ll be directed to an alternative delivery partner in an effort to help you secure funding.
Student Work Placement Program Eligibility
Employers must be:
- A Registered, Canadian business or not-for-profit;
- Willing to provide a quality work-integrated learning experience to a Post Secondary student;
- Committed to paying the student for the role, and have the financial capacity to pay the student for the duration of the placement in full (the wage subsidy will be administered after receiving all supporting documentation, at the end of the placement);
- Compliant with all federal and provincial human rights and labour legislation, regulations, and any other relevant standards including the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Employment Standards Act;
- Where legally required, responsible for Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) or alternate workplace insurance coverage;
Ineligible Employers include (but are not limited to):
- Federal, Provincial, Territorial and Municipal Government
- Hospitals and public long-term care facilities
- Crown Corporations
- Post-Secondary Institutions (PSIs)
- Financial institutions
- Non-secular institutions*
- Please note that this list may not be comprehensive, placement eligibility is determined through the application process.
*secular WIL opportunities in Non-secular institutions may be eligible, please reach out to swpp@magnetnetwork.ca for clarification.
Students must be:
- Registered as a domestic student in a recognized post-secondary institution
- Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
- Legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations. International students are not eligible
- Undertaking a placement that is recognized as work-integrated learning in connection with a course, degree, certificate, diploma, or other recognized program offered by the institution. The placement can be required or optional, for credit or not for credit.
- In a full or part-time program from any program of study
Eligible Placements must:
- Meet requirements of a Net NEW placement as defined by Employment and Social Development Canada (“ESDC”).
- Be a full-time or part-time position,
- Sub contracts/ contractor positions are not eligible
- Please note, apprenticeships noted on the Red Seal Trades website are not eligible.
Combination with other public programs:
- Partial provincial, territorial and municipal funds are permitted to be combined with Student Work Placement Program (SWPP), but only funds from non-governmental sources are eligible for subsidy. For example, a position paid with 60% provincial grant funding is only eligible for a subsidy calculated on the remaining 40% of the funds paid by the employer.
- Employers are responsible for following provincial tax credit guidelines where stacking with provincial tax credits will occur (employer’s are encouraged to consult their tax professional).
- Combination with federal funding programs is not eligible. This may include, but is not limited to, an award/grant from other federal funding programs, Canada Summer Jobs, Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), Student Work Placement Program administered through another delivery partner (full list available here), etc.
Key Terms
A wage subsidy provides financial reimbursement to employers who hire eligible job seekers.
The SWPP program is an economic development effort funded by the federal government to support the growth of Canadian businesses and nonprofits. Organizations who wish to participate must demonstrate a projected increase in the number of students hired in their “baseline year” in order to qualify. Net new is determined by subtracting the number of students hired by an employer in the first year prior to first participating in the Student Work Placement Program, from the number of students (not staff) the employer is intending to hire in the current fiscal year, including those already hired.
As defined by Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada, work-integrated learning (WIL) is a model and process of curricular experiential education which formally and intentionally integrates a student’s academic studies within a workplace or practice setting.
Work Integrated learning opportunities that are eligible for Student Work Placement wage subsidies include, but are not limited to:
- mentorship programs
- co-op placements
- practicums
- applied research projects; and
- internships
WIL experiences include an engaged partnership of at least: an academic institution, a host organization and a student. WIL can occur at the course or program level and includes the development of learning outcomes related to employability, personal agency and life-long learning.
Learn more about WILFirst Year Students are defined as students registered in the first year of their program at a recognized post-secondary institution.
Students from under-represented groups include:
Women in STEM: refers to a woman registered and studying in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Indigenous People: refers to people who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, First Nations, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation.
Persons with disabilities: refers to an individual who has a difficulty or impairment due to a long-term condition or health problem and/or experiences a limitation in their daily activities.
Newcomer: refers to immigrants who immigrated to Canada within the last five years.
Visible Minorities: refers to persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour
