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 employability skills.
Call for Proposals
The 2025 to 2026 call for proposals to support activities under the First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience program is now open. The deadline to submit a proposal is March 7, 2025 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.
The program:
- supports First Nations and Inuit secondary and post-secondary students in acquiring employability skills by providing organizations with wage subsidies for their summer work experience
- assists First Nations and Inuit secondary and post-secondary students prepare for future entry into the labour market by facilitating access to summer employment
- supports First Nations and Inuit secondary and post-secondary students in financing and furthering their education
- provides First Nations and Inuit secondary and post-secondary students with career and labour market information and assistance in finding summer employment
Funding is provided to eligible First Nations and Inuit communities, governments and organizations, as well as not-for-profit associations, private sector employers and schools and employers who then provide activities for First Nations and Inuit secondary and post-secondary students. Approved proposals will support work experience opportunities for First Nations and Inuit secondary and post-secondary students between May 1, 2025, and the beginning of the student's fall academic term.
Who can apply
- First Nations and Inuit communities
- Governments and organizations
- First Nations schools or federal schools on reserve
- First Nations and Inuit governments and organizations
- Not-for-profit associations
- Private sector employers
Eligible recipients may offer employment opportunities directly to youth or enter into agreements with private sector and non-profit sector employers to access employment opportunities for youth.
Not-for-profit organizations and private sector employers based in Canada may be eligible for direct funding for activities that provide opportunities for eligible First Nations and Inuit youth in Canada and fall within program guidelines.
Not-for-profit organizations may be eligible to receive funding to cover up to 100% of wage costs and mandatory employment-related costs.
Private sector employers may be eligible to receive funding to cover funding up to 50% of wage costs and mandatory employment-related costs.
Eligible participants
Eligible participants include:
- First Nations secondary or post-secondary students ordinarily resident on reserve or in a recognized community, an approved settlement on Crown land
- Inuit secondary or post-secondary students who are residents in Canada, but who reside outside their territory and are no longer eligible to be funded by their territory.
- Since territorial governments are the primary service providers for Inuit youth who reside on their territory, youth must provide proof that they are ineligible to receive funding from their territorial government to participate in eligible Summer Work Experience Program activities.
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
Eligible youth must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
Youth refers to persons between the ages of 15 to 30 years at the start of the program's activities. Eligible youth must a secondary or post-secondary student in a recognized educational institution and be returning to studies in the next academic session.
Deadline
The deadline to submit a proposal is March 7, 2025 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:
- meet the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy Summer Work Experience: National Program Guidelines
- be gender-balanced
- outline the activities to be undertaken and explain how they will meet the program's objectives
- outline the results to be achieved by the initiative or the project
- demonstrate that the activities will provide assistance only to eligible participants
- provide an estimate of related eligible costs, including costs shared with partners
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 2025 to 2026
- e-mail pse-eps@sac-isc.gc.ca
Proposals are reviewed and approved by the ISC regional or national offices or the First Nations or Inuit organization managing the program for their member communities. A written response is sent to applicants to confirm whether or not their proposals have been approved for funding.
First Nations organizations in British Columbia must apply through the First Nations Education Steering Committee.