Employer guide — Young Canada Works (YCW) at Building Careers in Heritage

On this page

• Objectives of Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage (YCWBCH)
• Application deadline
• Who can apply
• Eligibility
• Limits of government assistance
• How to apply
• How applications are evaluated
• Evaluation criteria
• Application processing time
• Funding decisions
• How funding is provided
• Funding conditions
• Recruiting and hiring
  • Eligible candidates
  • Training and supervision
  • Salary and benefits
  • Transportation arrangements
  • Reporting and follow-up
• Workplace well-being
• Official languages requirements
• Acknowledgement of financial assistance
• Access to information requests
• Disclosure of information
• Audits of recipients and evaluation of the Program
• Questions?

Objectives of Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage (YCWBCH)

The YCWBCH program helps college and university graduates to acquire, through career-oriented internships in Canada and abroad (usually 4 to 12 months), advanced skills and professional experience, and to integrate into the labour market in the heritage, arts or cultural sectors.

Internships in Canada

• In heritage fields related to the key functions of museums, archives, libraries, or heritage sites (built heritage);
• In conservation sciences; or
• In arts or cultural fields.

International museology internships

For more details on international museology internships, please communicate with the Canadian Museums Association.

Youth facing barriers to employment are particularly targeted by YCW programs to help them develop their skills and enhance their employability. For example, additional financial assistance can be provided to employers to facilitate the participation of people with disabilities.

The specific objectives of YCWBCH are:

For graduates:

• Help youth find career-oriented internships in order to acquire knowledge and specialized skills in key areas that will help their transition to the labour market in the heritage, arts or cultural sector;
• Help them integrate into the labour force in the heritage, arts or cultural sector after their internship, or pursue post-graduate studies.

For the heritage, arts and cultural sectors:

• Heritage, arts and cultural organizations have professional human resources to maintain their operations in key functions.

Application deadline

For the 2025-2026 funding cycle, the application deadline is January 17, 2025 at 11:59 pm (local time). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered for evaluation.

Who can apply

To be eligible for funding, your organization must be:

• an incorporated, non-profit organization in Canada with a heritage mandate, such as a museum^{Footnote 1}, archive, a library, or an organization managing built heritage (heritage site)^{Footnote 2}, or an arts organization;
• an educational or cultural institution that has distinct objectives, programs and budget related to heritage;
• a non-profit organization, under a provincial, territorial, regional or municipal government, that has distinct objectives, programs and budget related to heritage;
• a professional heritage or arts service organization; or
• an Indigenous regional government or governing body (band/tribal council) and/or Indigenous organization with a mandate to preserve and support Indigenous heritage (First Nations, Inuit or Métis); and
• stable and financially healthy.

Note: Priority will be given to employers applying for full-time internships.

Your organization is not eligible if it is:

• a federal department, federal agency or a Crown Corporation;
• a provincial or territorial government department;
• a for-profit organization; or
• a non-profit organization, with a heritage mandate in support of a federal entity, that is operationally dependent on the federal entity by virtue of its administrative and/or contractual relationship.

For more information about the employer eligibility criteria, please consult the Evaluation criteria section below.

Eligibility

Delivery organizations are responsible for determining the eligibility of each applicant, their project and any project-related expenses.

Requests for funding typically exceed our available resources. If your organization is eligible, submitting an application is not a guarantee of funding nor is the percentage of funding requested.

Limits of government assistance

YCWBCH generally contributes approximately 50% of total eligible employment costs (wages, benefits and other eligible expenditures), and may, if justified, contribute a higher percentage.

The maximum YCWBCH contribution is in general $15,000 per internship in Canada and $17,000 for an international museum internship.

YCWBCH is committed to strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion and encourages employers to consider hiring youth facing barriers to employment. For example, if you hire person living with a disability, reasonable costs related to workplace accommodation may be reimbursed, up to a maximum of $3,000 per participant. For more information on additional financial support to help remove barriers to employment, please contact your delivery organization.

Participant travel assistance

For internships in Canada:

The Program may reimburse transportation and accommodation costs incurred by participants who must relocate more than 125 km from their permanent residence to work at a YCW job site.

For international museology internships:

The Program will cover the cost of transportation and partial accommodation costs of a participant working abroad as stipulated in the contract between the employer and the participant.

For more information on financial assistance, please contact your delivery organization.

How to apply

YCW programs are delivered through a variety of delivery organizations.

For internships in Canada:

1. In heritage fields related to the key functions of museums, archives, libraries, or heritage sites (built heritage), please apply online via the YCW portal to the most appropriate delivery organization:
   • Fédération des milieux documentaires (Canadian Francophone libraries and documentation centres);
   • Canadian Council of Archives (Canadian archives and related organizations or Canadian libraries operating in English);
   • Canadian Museums Association (Canadian museums and related organizations); or
   • The National Trust for Canada (Canadian built heritage sites and related organizations).
2. In conservation sciences, please apply online via the YCW portal to the Canadian Museums Association.
3. In arts or cultural field, please apply online via the YCW portal to the Cultural Human Resources Council.

For International Museology Internships:

Please apply online via the YCW portal to the Canadian Museums Association.

Applications are accepted from Canadian museums^{Footnote 1} and related heritage organizations which, in collaboration with a museum or related heritage organization situated outside Canada, propose a museology internship project to take place, in part or in whole, at the foreign host organization. For example, an exhibition project requiring research or on-site work abroad.

For any questions about the use of the YCW portal or for technical support, please contact us by email at coordonnateurjct-ycwcoordinator@pch.gc.ca.

How applications are evaluated

Delivery organizations are responsible for evaluating and approving applications and for administering funding.

Evaluation criteria

1. General project goals
   • Heritage objectives
   • Benefits for graduate, institution, community, region, country
2. Project planning
   • Project clearly defined (objectives and measurable outcomes)
   • Clear job description and work plan (tasks and timelines)
3. Skill development
   • Development of specialized career-related skills and employability (concrete examples)
   • Hands-on, rewarding work experience
   • Opportunities for networking with professionals
4. Job parameters
   • Candidate profile clearly defined
   • Appropriate salary
5. Recruitment
   • Transparent selection and interview process planned
   • Provisions for job equity groups
   • Job description provided
6. Orientation and supervision
   • Skill assessment and development plan for intern planned
   • Appropriate supervision and professional support (training, coaching, mentoring, follow-ups, performance evaluation, etc.)
   • Action plan to help support transition to job market during and after internship
7. Budget
   • Complete estimates and coherent justification
   • Employer’s cash and in-kind contribution (25% to 50%)
   • Other sources of funding
8. Specific criteria (to be assessed by delivery organization)

During the application assessment process, funding priority may be given to employers whose eligible projects meet the following priorities:

• Indigenous employers;
• projects aimed at Indigenous participants (Indigenous or non-Indigenous employer);
• projects focusing on Indigenous cultural heritage (Indigenous or a non-Indigenous employer); and
• hiring youth that are part of equity-deserving groups or facing barriers to employment.

For more information about the evaluation process, please contact the delivery organization to which you intend to apply.

Application processing time

Our goal is to issue an official notification of the funding decision within 10 weeks of the application deadline.

Funding decisions

If your application is approved, you will receive an email confirmation from your delivery organizations with a preliminary offer. If you accept the preliminary offer, you will then gain access to the online list of candidates in order to start recruitment for your YCW position(s).

If your application is refused, you will receive a written notification from the delivery organization.

All questions, including requests for feedback on your application, should be directed to the delivery organization to which you apply.

How funding is provided

Your selected delivery organization will evaluate your application. If your YCWBCH application is approved:

• You will receive an email confirmation with a preliminary offer from your delivery organization. If you accept the preliminary offer, your job poster will then become viewable on the YCW website for registered candidates to view and you will have access to the online list of registered candidates so you can begin your recruitment process.
• Once you have selected a candidate, and before hiring, you and the candidate must complete an online Candidate Eligibility Form and submit it to your delivery organization for pre-approval of your candidate. Upon approval, you may officially hire the candidate.
• Your delivery organization will then issue a contract, to be signed by both parties, detailing the contribution amount, contractual terms and conditions and the timing of payments.
• Upon receipt of your signed contract and completion of the online Staffing Report by you and your YCW intern (during the first week of employment), you will receive from your delivery organization a first payment of 75% of the total approved amount.
• The balance owing (up to 25%) will be paid upon the receipt and approval by your delivery organization of your Employer End of Work Term Report, Employer and Intern Evaluation Questionnaires and other required documents, which are due within 30 days of the end of the work term. Final payments are based on the actual project costs.

Funding conditions

As a YCW employer, you must comply with the contractual terms and conditions of the program in which you are participating. Please contact your delivery organization for more details.

Note: If you cannot meet the terms and conditions of employment as set out in your contract, or these change, you must immediately contact your delivery organization to amend your contract.

Recruiting and hiring

Inclusive hiring is essential to creating a diverse workforce that is representative of the Canadian population. Employers are strongly encouraged to give priority to recruiting youth facing barriers as well as new participants to this program.

Did you know that if you hire a person with a disability, YCW can reimburse reasonable expenses associated with workplace accommodation? Contact your delivery organization as soon as your selected candidate is approved to inform them of any special accommodations that may facilitate the person's participation..

Small changes to your practices can lead to big results. Here are some tips that can help:

1. Planning – Ask yourself how your hiring process could contribute to increasing the diversity and talent in your workforce. Take the time to identify barriers faced by members of different communities so you can use inclusive hiring practices from the start.
2. Job posting – Post your job ad in an accessible format that is written concisely, in plain language, and uses inclusive terminology. Seek to reach and attract a diverse range of candidates by using social media and job posting platforms to further promote the opportunity to specific communities.
3. Interviews – Ensure that the assessment effectively measures qualifications without bias. If possible, select interviewers who represent diversity and ensure an objective, merit-based assessment.

As a YCW employer, you must:

• comply with applicable federal, provincial or territorial labour laws, regulations and statutes, including occupational safety standards and employment insurance or equivalent.

As a YCW employer for an international internship, you must also:

• confirm the intern's legal status (visa requirements, required financial guarantees, etc.);
• subscribe to travel updates available on the Government of Canada website, Travel advice and advisories;
• provide intern placement details to your delivery organization at least two months before the intern's expected departure;
• inform interns with dual citizenship that they must travel with Canadian documents in order to receive services from the Government of Canada while abroad; and
• ensure that each intern registers on the Government of Canada website, Registration of Canadians Abroad, before leaving Canada.

In an emergency, 24-hour, 7 days a week assistance is available through government offices that provide consular services to Canadian citizens abroad.

Email

sos@international.gc.ca

Emergency Contact Forms

Contact form for requesting emergency travel assistance

From outside Canada:

Call the nearest embassy or consulate

Embassies and consulates by destination

Telephone

+1-613-996-8885 (call collect where available)

From Canada:

Telephone (not related to passport)

613-996-8885

1-800-387-3124 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada only)

SMS

613-209-1233 (carrier charges may apply)

TTY

613-944-1310

1-800-394-3472 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada only)

Eligible candidates

Any intern you hire must:

• be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada;
  Note: Non-Canadian graduates holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent resident status are not eligible.
• be legally entitled to work in Canada (have a valid social insurance number);
• be between 16 and 30 years of age inclusively at the start of employment;
• be a graduate from college, CEGEP or university; and
• be registered in the YCW online candidate inventory.

Note: Priority will be given to graduates that have not previously participated in YCW internship programs and that are unemployed or underemployed.

Training and supervision

As a YCW employer for an internship, you must:

• provide each intern with a job description, orientation and a work plan that includes specific objectives;
• provide training in the required job tasks;
• establish a professional skills development plan with the intern that is tailored to their needs; and
• offer job-search support and follow-up at the end of the internship.

As a YCW employer for an international internship, you must also:

• consult the Government of Canada website, Travel advice and advisories for the Country Travel Reports (including up-to-date information on safety, security, health, and visa requirements); and
• monitor your intern's progress using electronic and telephone communications.

Salary and benefits

As a YCW employer, you must:

• pay wages and benefits in a timely manner and in accordance with labour laws and regulations of the province/territory of the work site. Employee wages must be in line with industry standards in the region where they are working and commensurate with their training and work experience. YCW contributions are based on the actual salaries paid to employees; and
• pay participants from payroll and make the required source deductions.

Note: The Canada Revenue Agency considers the intern's income and supplementary benefits taxable income. Earnings in most cases are pensionable and insurable and must be declared by the interns.

Transportation arrangements

If transportation is required for the duties related to the job, you must:

• provide adequate insurance coverage for each YCW employee required to drive a vehicle; and
• cover transportation costs for each YCW employee who uses authorized public transportation.

As a YCW employer for an international internship, you must:

• provide health and travel insurance for participants while outside Canada, including coverage for repatriation for medical, or security and safety emergencies; and
• pay a living allowance abroad sufficient to maintain an equivalent standard of living to that in Canada, based on local conditions.

Note: Interns must receive salary (in Canada) and a living allowance (abroad) in a timely manner, and in keeping with industry standards.

Reporting and follow-up

As a YCW employer, you must:

• keep an account of cash and in-kind contributions and expenditures;
• ensure that ALL of the following forms and reports, available online via the YCW portal, are completed in a timely manner:
  • Candidate Eligibility Form to confirm your candidate’s eligibility (to be initiated by the employer and completed before the candidate is hired);
  • Staffing Report to ensure that the internship information matches the contract (to be initiated by the employer and completed during the first week of employment period);
  • Evaluation Questionnaire to provide feedback regarding the program (to be completed by the intern during the last week of their internship and by the employer within 30 days of the last day of the internship); and
  • End of Work Term Report to ensure the internship has successfully ended (to be completed by the employer within 30 days of the last day of the internship);
• provide any additional information or documentation that may be requested by your delivery organization (i.e. supporting payroll documentation).

Workplace well-being

The Government of Canada is strongly committed to promoting healthy workplaces where harassment, abuse and discrimination are not tolerated. Organizations that receive funding from Canadian Heritage must take measures to create a workplace free from harassment, abuse and discrimination.

Official languages requirements

We are committed to taking positive measures to enhance the vitality of official-language minority communities and to promote the use of English and French in Canadian society. If you receive funding, you agree to comply with the official languages requirements set out in your application and in your funding agreement.

Acknowledgement of financial assistance

If you receive funding, you must publicly acknowledge – in English and in French – the financial support received from the Government of Canada in all communications materials and promotional activities. Additional requirements may be included in your funding agreement.

For additional information, please refer to our Guide on the public acknowledgement of financial support - Canadian Heritage - Canada.ca.

Access to information requests

We are subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The information you submit in your application may be disclosed in accordance with these acts.

Disclosure of information

By submitting your funding application, you authorize us to disclose any information submitted with this application within the Government of Canada or to outside entities for the following purposes:

• to reach a decision;
• to evaluate the results of the project; and
• to support transparency, accountability and citizen engagement.

Audits of recipients and evaluation of the Program

We reserve the right to audit your accounts and records to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of your funding agreement. We also conduct periodic Program evaluations, during which you may be required to present documentation.

You must keep any records, documents, or other information that may be required to perform the audit or the evaluation for five years. Demonstrated failure to maintain such records may result in the repayment of amounts previously received.

Questions?

Contact your delivery organization for any questions or additional information.

OR, call the Government of Canada's Youth Information Line:

Toll free

1-800-935-5555

TTY

1-800-926-9105

For general questions or comments about the YCW program, contact the Young Canada Works Secretariat at:

Email

coordonnateurjct-ycwcoordinator@pch.gc.ca