Internship Program with Innovative Small and Medium Enterprises

This program provides financial assistance to innovative Canadian SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) for the hiring of post-secondary graduates to work on innovation projects in these firms. In addition to meeting the needs of innovative firms, this program will facilitate the advancement of highly skilled young people within a rapidly changing labor market. The program is an initiative of the Youth Employment Strategy (YES) of the Government of Canada with funds from the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development (http://www.hrdc.gc.ca/dept/dept_hrsd.shtml).

SME Eligibility

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

Graduate Eligibility

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

Benefits

Your firm will receive financial support towards the employment of post-secondary graduates, who will work on technical opportunities in the firm 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 product
• business development related to science and technology activities
• improvement of customer services, etc.

Graduates will gain valuable work experience that will help open the doors to future employment.

What is the process?

Your firm and an NRC-IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor will develop and submit a project proposal. Upon commencement of the internship, the graduate will complete a brief survey to be submitted to NRC-IRAP, which will highlight the graduate’s strengths and weaknesses in the work environment.

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

Internships last between six to twelve months and are available anywhere in Canada. NRC's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) is responsible for delivering the program through its 235 Industrial Technology Advisors situated in over 90 communities from coast to coast.

Maximum support provided will be $12,000 to help cover a part of the graduate’s salary. Your firm is responsible for covering other expenses such as fringe benefits and overhead costs.

To Apply:

SMEs:

Contact the nearest NRC-IRAP office, call 1-877-994-4727 or visit the NRC-IRAP web site.

Post-Secondary Graduates :

Can apply by using campus recruitment offices, HRSD regional offices, internet job search sites such as http://www.skillnet.ca/pub/index.html?iin.lang=en or by contacting SMEs directly.

The program is in effect until March 31, 2008.