Green Jobs Program
Electricity Human Resources Canada’s (EHRC) Green Jobs Program supports companies in providing youth with work experience (via internships and on-the-job training) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) positions in Canada’s green economy.
What is a Green Job?
STEM jobs linked to the green economy can be classified two ways:
- Positions that require environmental skills, knowledge, experience or competencies in order to produce products or services that have an environmental benefit
- Positions that may not require specialized environmental skills but result in an environmental benefit.
Placements, Subsidies and Training
EHRC provides 50% wage subsidies to a maximum of $15,000 for employers hiring youth between the ages of 15 and 30. For those employers with placements in northern and remote communities and youth furthest from employment, EHRC will provide a 50% wage subsidy to a maximum of $20,000. To encourage employers to proactively place youth from under-represented groups, EHRC is reserving 50% of placements for youth self-identifying in the following categories:
- Women
- Indigenous peoples
- Visible minorities
- Persons with disabilities
Placements must be a minimum of six months and ending by March 31, 2020.
EHRC also provides funding for training to youth furthest from employment (un- and under-employed) reimbursing 100% of training costs incurred before March 31, 2020 to $15,000 (or $20,000 for youth from rural and remote communities).
Funding may also be combined between wage subsidies and training to a total youth contribution of $15,000 (or $20,000 for youth from rural and remote communities).
Employer Eligibility
Employers must be in one or more of the following areas:
- Firms whose primary activity is the generation, transmission and distribution of green electrical power.
- Sector support including renewables such as: R&D, energy efficiency.
- Firms engaged in the manufacturing of equipment and the provision of services necessary to the generation of green energy.
Employer organizations must be classified as one of the following:
- Aboriginal
- Academic
- Not-for-Profit Organization
- Industry
- Municipal, Provincial, or Territorial Government
- Utility
Employer Application https://forms.electricityhr.ca/Green-Jobs/Employer-Form
Youth Eligibility
Youth workers must:
- Be a youth between the ages of 15 to 30 years of age as of the start date of their placement.
- Be a Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons with refugee protection in Canada.
- Be legally able to work in Canada according to relevant laws and regulations of the province or territory of residence.
- Not currently be enrolled as a full-time student in a post secondary institutions.
Participant Information Form https://forms.electricityhr.ca/Green-Jobs/Participant-Form
Terms and Conditions
- The wages for this position must not be funded by another federally-funded program.
- For placements, the company must provide a full-time work opportunity for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 12 months, ending by March 31, 2020.
- The wage subsidy covers the cost of a youth’s salary up to 50% to a maximum of $15,000 for all youth and an increased maximum of $20,000 for youth in rural and remote communities.
- The company must provide a minimum of $1 for each $1 of wage subsidy.
- For training, companies or youth may apply for 100% of the costs associated with training that align with better employment prospects in the green economy to a maximum of $15,000 (or $20,000 for youth from rural and remote communities).
- A combination of wage subsidy and training can be combined to a total maximum EHRC contribution of $15,000 per youth in the program (or $20,000 for youth from rural and remote communities).
- The company must not recruit and retain friends or family members without a nepotism policy in place.
- The company must reference the participant information form to inform potential participants what their involvement in the Green Jobs Program will entail.
- The company must provide proof of employment, start date, contract with participant, full wage and benefits of participant to EHRC upon request.
- The company must provide information about the placement to EHRC upon request
- The company must develop a Formal Learning Plan with the participant, before the start of the placement
- The company must provide EHRC with monthly financial claims and progress reports.
NRCan’s Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC) definitions are:
- “Rural” is defined as a community with a population of fewer than 5,000 people and a population density of fewer than 400 people per square kilometre and not connected to the North American piped natural gas network.
- “Remote community” refers to a community not currently connected to the North American electrical grid nor to the piped natural gas network, and which is a permanent or long-term (5 years or more) settlement with at least 10 dwellings.
Funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Science and Technology Internship Program.
