Backgrounder: Canada Summer Jobs 2027
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) supports quality summer job opportunities for young people between the ages of 15 and 30 by providing funding to employers (including not-for-profit organizations, public sector organizations and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees). Not-for-profit employers can receive funding for up to 100% of the provincial or territorial adult minimum hourly wage and all associated mandatory employment-related costs, such as Employment Insurance premiums and Canada Pension Plan contributions.
Overview
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) supports quality summer job opportunities for young people between the ages of 15 and 30 by providing funding to employers (including not-for-profit organizations, public sector organizations and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees).
Not-for-profit employers can receive funding for up to 100% of the provincial or territorial adult minimum hourly wage and all associated mandatory employment-related costs, such as Employment Insurance premiums and Canada Pension Plan contributions. Public and private sector employers are eligible to receive funding for up to 50% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage.
Every year, the Government of Canada establishes national priorities for CSJ to reflect Canada’s evolving needs. In 2027, priority will be given to jobs that provide work experience related to:
- construction;
- environmental and climate-related activities;
- developing digital skills or gaining exposure to artificial intelligence; and,
- not-for-profit organizations that support underserved and equity-deserving communities.
CSJ is intended to improve access to the labour market for youth, especially those who face barriers to employment. This includes youth with disabilities, Black youth, racialized youth, Indigenous youth, 2SLGBTQI+ youth, youth in rural, remote, northern, or fly-in communities, as well as youth in official language minority communities.
To help persons with disabilities obtain employment, and to encourage employers to hire youth with disabilities, employers may be eligible for additional funding to accommodate youth with disabilities within the work environment.
Eligibility
Employers
Eligible Canadian employers can be from the not-for-profit, public or private sectors. Private sector employers must have 50 or fewer full-time employees across Canada at the time of application 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 or members of their immediate family;
- federal government departments and agencies;
- provincial government departments and agencies;
- organizations that engage in partisan political activities; and
- organizations that engage in activities that directly or indirectly infringe, undermine, weaken or restrict the exercise of human rights that are legally protected in Canada.
Each year, applications for funding exceed the available funding. Due to oversubscription, not all eligible projects are funded and organizations that receive funding may not receive the level of funding requested or the number of weeks requested. There is no guarantee of funding from one year to the next.
Projects and job activities
To be eligible for funding, projects must meet program eligibility criteria and comply with the terms and conditions of the Articles of Agreement.
For more information on local priorities, including the local priorities that have been established for each constituency, consult the CSJ website.
Eligible projects provide full-time work experience (from a minimum of 30 to a maximum of 40 hours per week) in Canada between April 19, 2027, and August 28, 2027, for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 16 weeks.
They also provide work experience in an inclusive, non-discriminatory work environment that respects the rights of all Canadians.
Ineligible projects and job activities include:
- activities that take place outside of Canada, including youth teleworking outside of Canada;
- activities that contribute to the provision of a personal service to the employer;
- partisan political activities;
- fundraising activities to cover salary costs for the youth participant; and
- projects and job activities that:
- 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.
How to apply
Employers interested in applying for CSJ 2027 funding are encouraged to submit their applications electronically on the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS) portal. Starting in 2028, GCOS will be the only online platform accepting CSJ applications.
Creating a GCOS account is a one-time process that allows organizations to apply for various Employment and Social Development Canada funding opportunities in a secure web environment.
For additional information on how to fill out an application, eligibility requirements and assessment criteria, organizations can refer to the Canada Summer Jobs website.
Reproduced from the original Government of Canada announcement.
