Hiring managers: Student hiring for the summer starts now

January 10, 2023 - Defence Stories

It’s time to get started on your student hiring for this summer! Now is the time to look for that student who can contribute skills, ideas and energy in your team. Get the ball rolling now!

The struggle for sustained employment continues to be very real for students all over Canada. We need to step up and identify jobs that are ideal for students – filling important resourcing gaps and delivering on our projects and day-to-day work.

Tips and tricks to help with your student hiring needs:

• Start NOW to find and hire your full-time summer students – they are done school by mid-April and ready to take on employment.
• Keep your assessment simple and follow these steps (accessible only on the National Defence network).
• Use the Start Date Calculator (accessible only on the National Defence network) to plan your start date and support positive pay outcomes.
• Check out the streamlined staffing procedures (accessible only on the National Defence network).
• Plan and follow the Security Screening Requirements (accessible only on the National Defence network) which allow for quicker processing times for students. In the email subject line, put “NEW Student Hiring or Returning FSWEP/COOP Student”.
• Plan the IT equipment early!
• Make the onboarding process smoother with the student passport and the student onboarding cheat sheet which can be accessed off of the DND network while students wait for IT equipment.

Where to look for students?

You can tap into a variety of sources (pools) to find the RIGHT student for your team and we are here to help, so feel free to send us an email: National Student Hiring team.

• Request referrals from the National Student Hiring team and we will take your criteria and do the work for you. If you would like to prioritize a position for students from an identified employment equity group, please include this in your request
• Visit the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP), with more than 30,000 students registered. You can access this pool by submitting requests for referrals (accessible only on the National Defence network).
• Requests for referrals (accessible only on the National Defence network) from the Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity program (ISEO)
• Connect with a local University or College to request referrals of CO-OP students.

You can also do a direct hire (accessible only on the National Defence network)! Meeting students by attending job fairs, recruitment events or accepting referrals through any network are a great way to find students. Check out a list of Career events that you could attend if you wish. Just send an email to the Recruitment team if you want to participate and if you can’t attend, you can still contact the Recruitment team who can promote your student job opportunities on your behalf.

Have questions? Please do not hesitate to contact HR Connect RH (accessible only on the National Defence network) or the National Student Hiring team for support.