Canada Summer Jobs 2021 Employer Application Process Launches Next Week
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on young Canadians who are trying to find work. Employers also face challenges when recruiting and hiring workers while adapting to the realities of the pandemic. That’s why the Government of Canada continues to take action to provide good job opportunities for youth and to support employers across Canada.
Today, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced that up to 120,000 job opportunities will be available to young Canadians through Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) in 2021. This represents a 50 percent increase from the 80,000 CSJ opportunities approved in 2020. With this significant increase, more employers and youth will be able to apply and benefit from the program.
The employer application period for CSJ 2021 will open on Monday, December 21, 2020, and close on Friday, January 29, 2021. Not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and private-sector employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees can start preparing their applications now to hire a young Canadian.
Similar temporary flexibilities introduced for CSJ 2020 will be applied this year to help small businesses operate. These include:
a wage subsidy, so that private and public-sector employers can receive up to 75 percent of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage for each employee (not-for-profit organizations will continue to receive 100 percent);
an extension to the end date for employment to February 26, 2022; and
allowing employers to hire staff on a part-time basis.
Today’s announcement builds on the commitments made in both the Fall Economic Statement and the Speech from the Throne to support young Canadians—namely to create more paid work opportunities next year and to ensure Canadian businesses have the supports they need to get through the pandemic.
Employers interested in applying for CSJ 2021 funding are encouraged to prepare their applications in advance of next week’s launch. Applicants who do not have an account on the secure Government Grants and Contributions Online Services portal are encouraged to create one prior to the launch of the application process. Registration is a one-time process that allows employers to submit their applications for CSJ funding and other funding opportunities offered through Employment and Social Development Canada.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, the Government of Canada will continue to work to protect Canadians’ jobs and to help businesses stay strong.