About the CFIA > Human Resources > Employment  

Career Focus Program

• The Career Focus Program CFP
• The CFP at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Who is eligible?
• What are the conditions of employment?
• Who benefits?
• How do I get involved?
• Where do I get more information?

The Career Focus Program

The Career Focus Program (CFP), part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy, provides recent graduates with career-related work opportunities to help them acquire advanced skills and become leaders in their fields. The objectives of the CFP are to facilitate the transition of skilled young people to a rapidly changing labour market and to increase the supply of qualified people in the workplace.

The CFP at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Under the CFP the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will work with its regulatory scientists to provide recent university graduates in the biological, chemical, agricultural and veterinary science fields, who are currently unemployed or under-employed, with rewarding internships. These internships are intended to attract individuals with specialized skills which will aid in enhancing the regulatory community and its regulatory capacity by filling knowledge gaps and enabling knowledge transfer which will assist with the Agency's succession planning.

Internships offered through the CFIA will provide training in regulatory programs and laboratories related to the CFIA's mandate of food safety, animal health and plant health. Priority will be given to meritous projects which meet the CFIA's greatest business needs.

Who is eligible?

Candidates must:

• be a Canadian citizen;
• be a recent science graduate (within the last three years) from a Canadian University with a degree in biological, chemical, agricultural or veterinary science, or applied technology;
• be under the age of 31;
• be currently unemployed or under-employed;
• not be in receipt of Employment Insurance benefits; and
• not be a previous participant in any internship program funded by the Youth Employment Strategy of the federal government.

What are the conditions of employment?

Candidates must:

• be willing to undergo a security clearance to the level of Enhanced Reliability;
• be willing to undergo a pre-placement health evaluation;
• be willing to relocate (may be required for some internships); and
• consent to participate in the project's evaluation/assessment.

Who benefits?

Participants gain the technical expertise, practical experience and expert mentoring they need to allow them to find employment in their fields. The CFIA gains an enthusiastic and skilled pool of scientific talent to draw upon for recruitment purposes. Canada and its agri-food sector benefit as the program helps train a new generation of scientists.

How do I apply?

Please email your resumé with a covering letter demonstrating the eligible criteria as stated above, to CFIADEVPROG@inspection.gc.ca. Candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly by the CFIA sponsoring manager.

Where do I get more information?

For information on youth employment, visit the Government of Canada's website at youth.gc.ca or call the Government of Canada Youth Info Line at 1-800-935-5555.