Funding for Youth Internships

What is it?

Internship Program for Innovative Small & Medium Companies

Food manufacturing companies that are looking to develop new products or improve their technical production processes may qualify for funding to hire an intern through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP). This program provides financial assistance to innovative Canadian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to hire post-secondary graduates to work on innovation projects. It is designed to meet the needs of innovative companies and to encourage the advancement of highly skilled young people in a rapidly changing labour market.

What is the benefit to your company?

This program provides companies with 6-12 months of funding to a maximum of $30,000 to help them hire post-secondary graduates. The graduates work as interns on technical opportunities and on non-technical but technology-related projects such as:

• research and development, engineering, multi-media
• development of new products and processes
• market analysis for a new technology-based products
• business development related to science and technology activities
• improvement of customer service, etc.

For Example . . .
A small food company could hire a graduate to set up a quality assurance program, implement Good Manufacturing Processes and develop a HACCP program.

SME Eligibility

To be eligible for these programs, your firm must:

• be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) with fewer than 500 employees
• be incorporated and for profit
• wish to enhance its innovation capability
• be willing to establish a trusting relationship with NRC-IRAP.

IRAP advisors meet with interested companies to determine what kind of support is best suited to the company's capacity and goals. Other IRAP funding is available beyond the internship program, but in some cases, IRAP may not be the most appropriate solution. For the internship program, the IRAP advisor will visit your company to conduct an assessment of your need for, and capacity to support an intern.

Intern Eligibility

To be eligible to be an intern under this program, candidates must:

• have completed post-secondary education
• be a Canadian Citizen or permanent resident or have been granted refugee status in Canada
• be between 15 and 30 years old (inclusive)
• be a first-time youth participant in a placement with the Career Focus Program of the Youth Employment Strategy (YES)
• be legally entitled to work in the province.

What is the process?

An NRC-IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor will work with your firm to develop and submit a project proposal. Meanwhile, the internship candidate will complete a brief survey, submitted to NRC-IRAP, which will highlight the graduate's strengths and weaknesses in the work environment.

When the internship is finished, the intern, your firm and NRC-IRAP will evaluate the experience, to help IRAP determine if the internships are achieving their objectives.

Internships last from six to twelve months. Maximum support provided is $30,000 to help cover a part of the intern's salary. Your firm is responsible for covering other expenses such as fringe benefits and overhead costs.

The program is available across Canada. NRC's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) is responsible for delivering the program through its 240 Industrial Technology Advisors situated in more than 90 communities from coast to coast.

How do I apply?

Companies should contact their nearest NRC-IRAP office or call toll-free: 1-877-994-4727. Potential interns can apply by using campus recruitment offices, Human Resources and Social Development Canada regional offices, internet job search sites such as or by contacting companies directly.

Where can I find more information?

National Research Council -Industrial Research Assistance Program
25-55 St. Clair Ave E. Suite 903, Toronto, ON, M4T 1M2
Toll-free telephone: 1-877-994-4727
Telephone: (416) 973-4484
Fax: (416) 973-4303

The internship program is an initiative of the Youth Employment Strategy of the Government of Canada with funds from Human Resources and Social Development Canada .

We're here to help!

To find out how the Business Development Branch at OMAFRA can provide you with knowledge, connections, and resources to help you grow your business, call toll-free at 1-888-466-2372 extension 64474 or e-mail at foodinvest@ontario.ca. For information about this program and others, as well as our branch, visit www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food.