Backgrounder: Canada Summer Jobs 2021

Program overview
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) is part of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, which is the Government of Canada’s commitment to help young people—particularly those facing barriers to employment—get the information and gain the skills, work experience and abilities they need to transition successfully into the labour market. CSJ is delivered by Employment and Social Development Canada.

The program provides wage subsidies to private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees, employers from not-for-profit organizations, and the public sector to create quality summer work experiences for young people between the ages of 15 and 30. It provides them with opportunities to develop and improve their skills, responds to national and local priorities, and improves access to the labour market for youth, including those who face barriers.

2021 application period
The CSJ 2021 employer application period is being extended to February 3, 2021, to provide more time for employers to apply for funding to hire young people. Not-for-profit organizations and private and public sector employers who have not already applied for funding are encouraged to do so today.

Preparing to apply online for CSJ funding
Canadian employers can start getting their CSJ applications ready by signing up on the Government of Canada’s secure Grants and Contributions Online Services portal and preparing their supporting documents. Registering on the portal is a one-time process that allows employers to apply for various funding opportunities with Employment and Social Development Canada in a secure web environment.

Important reminders
The safety of young people is paramount to CSJ. To be eligible to receive funding, employers must be able to provide them with a job placement in a safe work environment.

In the current context of COVID-19, employers are responsible to stay informed about provincial and territorial guidance on essential services and municipal, provincial, territorial and federal public health information.

To complement guidance published by municipal, provincial and territorial governments, the federal government has published the following resources to support employers and employees:

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): For businesses and employees
• Risk mitigation tool for workplaces/businesses operating during the COVID-19 pandemic

Support for employers
To support employers, the CSJ 2021 Applicant Guide will be available online as of Monday, December 21, 2020. This guide provides instructions on how to fill out an application, eligibility requirements and assessment criteria.

Service Canada will automatically post all positions funded by CSJ to the Job Bank website and mobile app to help employers fill positions with qualified young people who are looking for work in their communities. Job Bank is the primary source of information for youth on the availability of CSJ-funded positions.

Eligibility criteria

Employers
Eligible Canadian employers are from the not-for-profit, public and private sectors. Private sector employers must have 50 or fewer full-time employees across Canada to be eligible (full-time employees are those working 30 hours or more per week).

Ineligible Canadian employers include members of the House of Commons and the Senate, federal government departments and agencies, provincial departments and agencies, and organizations that engage in partisan political activities.

Employers interested in applying for this funding are encouraged to open an account on the secure Grants and Contributions Online Services portal.

Projects and job activities

Projects and job activities are ineligible if they:

• take place outside of Canada;
• contribute to the provision of a personal service to the employer;
• conduct partisan political activities;
• fundraise to cover salary costs for the youth participant;
• restrict access to programs, services, or employment, or otherwise discriminate, contrary to applicable laws, on the basis of prohibited grounds, including sex, genetic characteristics, religion, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression;
• advocate intolerance, discrimination or prejudice; or
• actively work to undermine or restrict a woman’s access to sexual and reproductive health services.

Extension to the temporary flexibilities
In response to the COVID-19 situation, the following flexibilities have been extended to respond to the needs of employers and youth.

Temporary flexibilities

Wage subsidies
All CSJ-funded public and private sector employers will be eligible to receive a wage subsidy reimbursement of up to 75% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage. Previously, private and public sector employers were only eligible to receive up to 50% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage.

Part-time employment
All CSJ-funded employers may offer part-time placements (for example, fewer than 30 hours per week). Previously, all CSJ-funded employment had to be full time (a minimum of 30 hours per week for at least six weeks).

Employment period
All CSJ-funded employers may offer part-time employment to youth who want to work during the academic year. Previously, all CSJ-funded positions had to be completed no later than the end of August 2021.