About FSWEP

FSWEP Recruitment options

The Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) is the primary vehicle through which federal departments and agencies recruit students for temporary jobs.

FSWEP is a national program which provides students with opportunities to learn about the federal government and gain valuable experience while developing and improving their employability skills.

You can recruit students in two ways:

1. FSWEP Inventory (accessible year-round)

Once students complete and submit the FSWEP Application for Employment form, their application is stored in the FSWEP inventory.

Hiring departments offering student jobs submit a request for referrals to the Public Service Commission (PSC). The PSC will perform a search of the inventory and then refer five randomly selected candidates per job. Hiring departments contact the referred candidates and assess them either by phone or in person.

2. FSWEP Departmental Programs

Certain departments and agencies create customized departmental programs to recruit students for specialized jobs. Departments work in conjunction with the PSC to develop a detailed advertisement outlining the specific requirements of the departmental program (i.e. academic level, specialized fields of study). Students must identify, on their FSWEP application form, the departmental program(s) for which they want to be considered. Only students who meet the qualifications of the departmental program will be referred to the department. Only departments that develop their own departmental program can use it.

If you are interested in creating a departmental program, please email your request to: FSWEPLL@psc-cfp.gc.ca.

Organizations are asked to sign a partnership agreement with the PSC outlining the roles and responsibilities of both the participating organizations and the PSC.

Please visit the Departmental Programs page, to view the programs currently being offered.

Re-employments

Did you know that you can re-employ a previous student?...

The PSC may authorize the re-employment of a student into an identical or similar job in the same department/agency if he or she:

• was initially selected through FSWEP, the Research Affiliate Program (RAP) or the Post-Secondary Co-operative Education (Co-op) and Internship Program in a fair, transparent, equitable and non-partisan manner;
• meets all of the requirement of the job; and
• continues to meet the eligibility criteria described in the Student Employment Policy

The PSC may authorize the re-employment of a student from another organization where the conditions noted above are met and the hiring organization provides a rationale for re-employment. For example:

• there is a structured student development program involving assignments in two or more departments; or
• the initial hiring department is unable to re-employ a high-calibre student but feels his/her talents should be retained in the Public Service and has brought the case to the attention of another department.

Departments are responsible for:

• Consulting with their departmental Human Resources Advisors/Consultants
• Ensuring students meet the general eligibility criteria
• Confirming the student's intent to return to full-time studies.
• Ensuring that students are not employed beyond their last academic term
• Adhering to the staffing values and principles : fairness; equity; transparency; competency; representativeness and non-partisanship; and Student Employment Programs Regulations
• Complying with the requirements of the Policy on the Duty to Accommodate Persons with Disabilities in the Federal Public Service;
• Preparing student letters of offer
• Promptly sending the results of the selection process to the PSC office that provided the referrals
• Developing a mandatory learning plan: In accordance with the Student Employment Policy Section 5.2(b), "managers must develop a structured learning plan defining what the student should accomplish (see Appendix B and Appendix C for model learning plans) or use the generic plan provided by the academic institution, combined with a description of the specific assignment".

Please note that you cannot hire a student through FSWEP if they have not been referred by the Public Service Commission (PSC) inventory search process.

Find out about FSWEP best practices!

Related Links

Student Employment Policy

Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students

Students Employment Programs in the Federal Government