Frequently Asked Questions - Student Employment Policy and Programs

Q. Where can secondary and post-secondary students find information on employment opportunities in the federal Public Service?

A. For information on student employment opportunities in the federal Public Service, visit the Public Service Commission's job site at http://www.jobs-emplois.gc.ca/menu/home_e.htm or call the Youth Infoline at 1-800-935-5555. Information is also generally available at secondary school guidance offices, campus employment centres or a Human Resource Centre of Canada.

A. In accordance with the Student Employment Policy the Treasury Board has designated four paid student employment programs and two non-paid assignments in the federal government. The four paid student employment programs are:

Eligibility

A. Eligibility for student employment in the federal Public Service is outlined in the Treasury Board Secretariat's Student Employment Policy.

To be considered for employment under one of the student employment programs, a person must be:

Students who are in their final year of academic study and who are not intending to return to full-time studies are eligible to work part-time up until the time they graduate. Managers must ensure that students hired in their final year are not employed under a student employment program beyond their graduation date.

Students in these two categories, though not full-time students, are eligible for student employment programs under this policy and, where an appropriate match exists, departments are encouraged to make every effort to place these applicants.

Although part-time students cannot be considered for employment under one of the student employment programs, they may be eligible for other employment opportunities in the federal Public Service. For more information on employment opportunities, visit http://www.jobs-emplois.gc.ca/menu/home_e.htm

Citizenship

Q. What is the policy regarding the hiring of non-Canadian students under one of the student employment programs?

A. As with all appointments to the federal Public Service, priority will be given to Canadian citizens. Non-Canadians may apply for jobs within the federal Public Service, however, the Public Service Employment Act sets the following parameters:

In a competition which is open to the public:
a) selection may be confined to Canadian citizens where there is a sufficient number of Canadian applicants; and
b) qualified Canadians must be appointed before qualified non-Canadians.

Pay

Q. The Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students refers to both a student rate of pay and student salary range. Is there a difference between these two terms, and if so, what is it?

A. Secondary school students are paid according to a rate of pay. This is a flat rate based on the geographic zone in which the student is working. All secondary students working in a given geographic zone are paid at the same rate. If a secondary student lives in one zone and accepts a job in another, the student is paid the rate corresponding to the zone in which the job is located.

On the other hand, post-secondary students are paid within a salary range, which is made up of several rates of pay. Departments have the authority to select a rate of pay within the salary range that they feel is appropriate. This flexibility allows departments to offer post-secondary students a rate of pay based on the students' past experience, skills, previous degrees or diplomas related to the job, etc. Further, the salary range allows departments to provide a meaningful progression in a post-secondary student's pay, along the salary range on subsequent assignments.

There is one exception to the explanation above. If there are no, or not enough, secondary students available for a secondary school job, a manager may offer this job, and the corresponding secondary school rate of pay, to a willing post-secondary student. In this case only, the post-secondary student would be paid at the appropriate secondary rate of pay based on the geographic zone in which the job is located rather than on the post-secondary salary range. For more information about rates of pay and salary ranges, see Appendix A of the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students.

Q. What is a current academic level and how does it differ from a student's year of study?

A. A post-secondary student's current academic level is the diploma or degree program that the student is currently enrolled in. There are four academic levels: College, University Undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate. Corresponding to each of these academic levels is a specific salary range, which allows for a meaningful progression of a student's pay on subsequent assignments.

Prior to 1999, post-secondary students were paid according to their academic discipline and their year of study (e.g. University year 1, University year 2, etc). Each year had a corresponding rate of pay. Students are no longer paid this way. Although there are several steps in the salary ranges for post-secondary students, these do not correspond to the students' year of study. Instead, departments and students now have the authority to negotiate a rate of pay within the salary range that corresponds to the student's current academic level, regardless of the student's year of study.

A. A post-secondary student's current academic level is the diploma or degree program that the student is currently enrolled in. There are four academic levels: College, University Undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate. Corresponding to each of these academic levels is a specific salary range, which allows for a meaningful progression of a student's pay on subsequent assignments.

There are no specific pay rates assigned to the number of semesters taken within a diploma or degree program. Instead, departments have been delegated the authority to offer students a rate of pay within a salary range for a particular academic level. For more details about pay rates, refer to Appendix A of the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students.

Note: In order to address department-specific issues, including consistency of application, departments have been encouraged to develop their own student employment policies to complement Treasury Board Secretariat's policy.

Q. How do you determine what rate of pay to offer a secondary school student?

A. Secondary school students' rates of pay are determined based on the geographic location of their assignment. For example, a student living in Toronto accepts an assignment in Ontario outside of Metro Toronto. The student would be paid at the rate for Ontario, not the one for Metro Toronto. Please see Appendix A of the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students a complete list of zones (geographic location) and their respective rates of pay.

Q. At what academic level are students paid who have graduated from secondary school and are about to attend a post-secondary institution (i.e. students accepted to a post-secondary institution, but have not started classes)?

A. Students who have recently graduated from a secondary school continue to be paid secondary school rates until such time as they have registered AND started classes at a post-secondary institution.

This applies to all students who are moving between academic levels (i.e. College to University Undergraduate, University Undergraduate to Masters, and Masters to Doctorate). Students continue to be paid at the academic level that they graduated from until they actually start classes at the new academic level.

Q. Question 26 of the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) application form states, "If you are a post-secondary student willing to accept a job at the secondary student rate of pay, answer "Yes" to this question". As a post-secondary student, why would I accept this condition? If I say no, will this affect my ability to get a secondary school job?

A. Post-secondary students will only be considered for secondary school jobs when there are no interested or available secondary students. Some post-secondary students may be interested and/or comfortable accepting a job at the secondary rate of pay, particularly if they are in a region of the country that has limited employment opportunities. If a post-secondary student answers "No" to question 26, he or she will not be considered for a secondary school job, should the opportunity arise. However, answering either "Yes" or "No" to question 26, will not affect a post-secondary student's eligibility for post-secondary jobs.

Q. A student is currently in his or her first year of college, but has already completed a university undergraduate degree in a related field of study. The Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students, states that post-secondary student rates of pay are based on the student's current academic level, so must this student be paid at the college level?

A. No, although students are normally paid at their current academic level, the situation described in the question above is an exception. The Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students states that, a student who has completed a university degree, and continues his or her studies at a college in a related field of study, shall be a paid within the salary range for university undergraduate studies. Further, if the student worked in a student program in the previous year, then his or her rate of pay must not be lower than the rate received the year before.

Please note that if a student has completed a university degree and is currently attending college in an unrelated field, the student is paid a rate from the college academic level. For more information, refer to Appendix A of the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students.

Q. If a student is in his or her fourth year of a university undergraduate program and is employed under one of the student employment programs, what would be the student's rate of pay?

A. The Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students no longer refers to "year of study", but to a "current academic level". The "current academic level" is defined as the post-secondary diploma or degree program that the student is currently enrolled in (i.e. College, University Undergraduate, Masters or Doctorate). Departments have been delegated the authority to offer a student salary within a pay range for a particular academic level. In the case of a student in fourth year, the student would be paid a salary within the range for university undergraduate studies. For more information on rates of pay for students, refer to Appendix A Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students.

Re-employment

A. Students who were initially selected through the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) or Co-op Program in a fair, transparent, equitable and non-partisan manner, can be re-employed in the same type of job. In order to be considered for employment or re-employment, all students must submit a new application each year, regardless of whether they have already worked in the federal Public Service. However, it is the department's responsibility to request that a particular student be re-employed. Once this request is made, the student's application is "referred" to the same type of job that he or she held during the past year.

If a department submits a request to re-employ a specific student to the Public Service Commission (PSC), but the student has not submitted an application, the student cannot be considered and referred by the PSC for re-employment.

As a best practice, managers should discuss in advance with students their intentions towards re-employment.

Bridging Mechanisms

Q. Can a student, who has worked under one of the student employment programs, get a job in the federal Public Service after the student has completed his or her post-secondary studies?

A. Yes, in 1998, the Public Service Commission introduced two flexible, merit-based mechanisms to "bridge" students, participating in the Federal Student Work Experience Program or the Post-Secondary Co-op/ Internship Program, into federal government positions after the students have completed their post-secondary studies.

A bridging mechanism represents a way to facilitate the hiring of individuals to the federal Public Service, either through the opportunity to compete in closed competitions or by appointment without competition.

The first mechanism allows students to apply in closed job competitions normally open only to employees of the federal Public Service, when the notice of competition specifically states that students can apply. The student must also meet all other criteria specified in the area of selection of the competition. This is the only time in which a student can compete on a closed competition in the federal Public Service.

The second mechanism permits deputy heads of departments to appoint a student, without a competition, directly into a position in the federal Public Service. The deputy has 18 months from the time the student has completed his or her studies to make the appointment.

In both cases the student must have completed his or her degree program before the appointment can take place and the student can be bridged into any department regardless of the department where the student's last work term took place. Students who have particpated in student employment programs established by certain federal employers not governed by the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), may also be eligible to be bridged provided a reciprocity agreement has been signed between these employers and the PSC.

Student Rights & Benefits

A. While there are no performance bonuses for students per say, it is possible to reward students through other avenues. For example, a student could be awarded a bonus or recognised for his or her work through the Departmental Awards and Recognition Program.

Q. How much notice should a student be given if his or her contract is terminated early?

A. As a best practice, a student should be given as much notice as possible. However, there is no minimum notice period. It is also important that the reasons for early termination be explained to the student.

Q. Is there a limit as to how long a student can continue to work under one of the student employment programs?

A. No, except for a student employed in a co-operative/internship assignment, a student can continue to work under one of the student employment programs as long as he or she meets the eligibility criteria (as stated in Appendix A of the Student Employment Policy).

As a best practice, departments may wish to limit student contracts to 12 months in order to review the compensation of the students. If a student is employed in the federal Public Service without interruption for a period of more than six months, the student is required to contribute to the federal government's Public Service Pension Plan. However, if during the six months, the student's contract is interrupted for a minimum of 24 hours, the student is not required to pay into the plan.

For co-operative/internship assignments, the student's academic institution determines the duration of each work assignment. Traditionally, assignments last 4 months. Internships may vary from 4 to 18 months. Managers may offer students back-to-back work terms with prior approval of the academic institution.

Please note that no matter how long a student is employed for, this employment should not interfere with his or her academic program.

Tools for a Successful Work Experience

Q. What tools are available for managers and students to help ensure that the student's work experience in the federal Public Service is useful and valuable for the student and the department?

A. A student's work assignment can be a unique and important opportunity for the student, the manager and the department. Managers can benefit from the fresh perspective and varied skill sets of the student, while at the same time having the opportunity to pass on some of their knowledge and experience to the student. Students can gain valuable work experience, exposure to many of the exciting career opportunities in the federal Public Service, and earn money while serving their country and helping their fellow citizens.

However, a positive work experience requires effort from both the student and the manager. To assist in creating a positive experience, the Treasury Board has developed several tools and encourages both students and managers to take advantage of these tools.

A model learning plan is included in the Appendix of the Student Employment Policy. The learning plan helps establish a positive work experience and allows the student to set out, with the manager, his or her goals and the skills he or she wants to gain during the work experience. The learning plan should be reviewed at the end of the assignment to determine if expectations were met.

The Guide to Mentoring Students provides managers with guidelines on how to mentor their students, and illustrates the benefits of mentoring to both the student and the mentor.

The Sample Student Exit Questionnaire allows the student to provide constructive feedback to the department and manager about their work experience. The information provided by the student will be used to enhance work experiences for future students.

All the Treasury Board publications referred to in this document are available via the Treasury Board web site on GENet and Internet.


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