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How we assess your application

This section outlines how your Canada Summer Jobs application is reviewed and scored, helping you understand the process as an employer.

We will review your application in 2 steps by:

  1. Screening for eligibility against the 15 mandatory eligibility requirements listed below
  2. Assessing for quality in relation to the program objectives:
    • provide quality work experiences for youth
    • provide opportunities for youth to develop and improve their skills
    • respond to national and local priorities to improve access to the labour market for youth who face unique barriers

On this page

Screening for eligibility

You must meet the following 15 eligibility requirements for your project to be considered eligible for funding. We will screen for eligibility based on the following eligibility requirements:

  1. you must submit your application before the deadline
  2. you must check the attestation box
  3. you must provide a complete application
  4. you must be an eligible employer
  5. the project activities must be eligible
  6. the job duration must be between 6 and 16 consecutive weeks
  7. the job hours must be full-time (30 to 40 hours per week)
  8. you must declare whether you have applied, will apply, or have received funding from other sources to pay for part of the wages for the jobs you are requesting funding for
  9. the job salary must respect minimum wage requirements in your province or territory
  10. your organization must declare any money owing to the Government of Canada and a payment plan must be in place before a funding agreement can be established
  11. you must demonstrate that you have implemented adequate health and safety practices in the work environment
    • safety measures must relate to the type of work environment and specific job type and activities
  12. you must demonstrate that you have implemented adequate measures to ensure that hiring practices and the work environment are free of harassment and discrimination
  13. you must outline the supervision plan for the youth and proposed job activities
  14. you must outline the mentoring plan for the youth
  15. we will review all files associated with your organization to verify if there is documented evidence from previous agreements with us that would render your application ineligible (including but not limited to financial irregularities, health and safety concerns, past project default or other results)
    • We may also review previous applications and all previous correspondence, including responses to requests for missing information or clarification, as part of this review process
    • We may also consult with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on past financial irregularities

We will consider failure to comply with any conditions of a previously funded project in the evaluation of your new application, which could result in a decision of ineligibility of your new application as set out under paragraph 25.1(6) of the Articles of Agreement.

Things that may impact your eligibility

Important: We may refuse applications that are incomplete or contain errors.

If your application is missing mandatory information, or if the information is unclear, we will contact you by email. We will use the contact information you provided in your application to request the information or clarification. We will do so before determining the eligibility of your application. If you receive such an email, you must respond within 5 business days of the date on which the email was sent. If you do not respond before the deadline, your application will not proceed for assessment.

Assessing on program objectives

We will assess your project only if all of the eligibility requirements have been met. We will assess your application for quality against the CSJ program objectives.

Objective 1: Provide quality work experiences for youth (30 points)

Under this objective, we will assess your application based on the following criteria.

The job(s) provides a salary above the provincial or territorial minimum wage (10 points)

Refer to Section 1 - Wage subsidies available for additional information on the minimum wage. Note that you will be required to report on the salary paid to the youth as part of the mandatory reporting process.

You intend to retain the youth as an employee following the end of the CSJ agreement (5 points)

This additional work can be full-time or part-time. Note that you will be required to report on whether you retained the youth as part of the mandatory reporting process.

The youth will receive supervision (15 points)

The supervision plan should be task-oriented and focused on the specific job activities contained in your application.

We will assess the quality of your supervision plan based on the following:

  • type of supervision (on-site, remote, or combination)
  • frequency of supervision (daily, weekly, less than once per week)
  • amount of the supervisor's experience in a supervisory role (less than one year, 1 to 2 years, or more than 2 years)
  • the type of feedback to be provided to the youth (formal or informal)
  • what the supervisor will provide (job-specific training, work instructions and tasks, evaluation of work, other)

Objective 2: Provide opportunities for youth to develop and improve their skills (40 points)

Under this objective, we will assess your application based on the following criteria.

The youth will receive mentoring (13 points)

Mentoring is a relationship between an experienced employee (the mentor) and a less experienced employee (the youth). Through regular meetings, the mentor will learn about career objectives of the youth and share their professional experience. The mentor will support skills development and facilitate professional development to help the youth enter the labour market.

We will assess the quality of your mentoring plan based on the following:

  • type of mentoring (one-on-one, team)
  • frequency of mentoring (weekly, monthly, less than once per month)
  • amount of the mentor's experience in a mentoring role (less than one year, 1 to 2 years, or more than 2 years)
  • mentor-mentee relationship (formal or informal)
  • what the mentor will provide (support for skills development, career-related training, access to learning materials, or other)

The youth will develop transferable skills through work experience (27 points)

As quality job experiences provides youth with the opportunity to acquire and develop transferable skills that are essential for success in the labour market. We will award points if you indicate that skills will be developed during the work experience. The job description section, including the outlined tasks and responsibilities, may be considered when assessing the skill development.

Refer to Section 3 - How to answer the application questions for a description of each of the skills.

Objective 3: Respond to national and local priorities to improve access to the labour market for youth who face unique barriers (30 points)

Under this objective, we will assess your application based on your ability to support the following.

Youth facing barriers to employment (10 points)

One of the program objectives is to provide youth who face barriers to employment with access to work opportunities. These social barriers to employment are often systemic or geographic and can make it more difficult for youth to enter or remain in the workforce. You can find more details on the groups facing barriers to employment in Section 3 - How to answer the application questions.

We will award points to applications that prioritize the recruitment of youth facing barriers to employment. We will grant additional points if your organization has measures in place to support these youth once hired.

Important: If your organization intends to prioritize the recruitment of youth facing barriers to employment and your application is approved, we may monitor your recruitment and hiring activities to ensure they align with the commitments in your application.

National priorities (10 points)

National priorities are established to improve labour market outcomes for youth by focusing on sectors with current needs and future job opportunities. We will award points to projects that support national priorities. If your application demonstrates that it meets more than one national priority, we will award you additional points. Note that we will require that you report on the national priorities supported as part of the mandatory reporting process.

In 2026, CSJ will address the following national priorities.

Jobs that provide work experience related to construction
  • For the purpose of this priority, construction includes activities that support the design, development, remodelling, renovation, and repair of buildings, including residential buildings
  • Work experience related to construction can also include exposure to broader construction-related opportunities, such as advancing affordable housing and community development initiatives. It can include activities such as:
    • performing labour and structural work on construction sites
    • providing administrative support to construction teams or housing organizations, such as project planning, budgeting, or scheduling
    • participating in community engagement or housing advocacy efforts
    • contributing to research on housing needs, zoning, or urban development
Jobs that provide work experience related to green jobs and environmental protection
  • Green jobs contribute directly or indirectly to protecting the environment by producing goods or delivering services that benefit the environment. They may involve environmental skills, knowledge, experience, or competencies, but do not necessarily require these specialized skills to result in a positive environmental impact
  • For the purpose of this priority, jobs related to environmental protection include activities such as:
    • mitigating or adapting to climate change
    • conserving or restoring the environment
    • supporting organizations that work toward or advocate for positive environmental outcomes
Jobs that provide exposure to technology and digital skills, including opportunities to develop foundational artificial intelligence skills in the workplace
  • For the purpose of this priority, exposure to technology and digital skills includes work experience related to:
    • technology support or design
    • data science, analysis, or administration
    • information technology and cybersecurity
    • coding or programming
    • artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
    • web design and development
    • telecommunications
  • Opportunities to develop foundational AI skills refers to on-the-job activities that help youth understand how AI works and how it is used in practical settings. These skills can be developed through entry-level tasks such as:
    • data labeling or preparation to support machine learning
    • supporting literature reviews or data collection for AI-related projects
    • automating repetitive tasks

Local priorities (10 points)

Members of Parliament establish local priorities for each constituency throughout the country, taking into account local labour market information.

Indicate which local priorities your project supports. The local priorities for your constituency are available on the CSJ webpage for Local priorities by province, territory, and constituency. If your application demonstrates that it meets more than one local priority, we will award you additional points.

Note: It is not mandatory for members of Parliament to establish local priorities. We will not penalize you during assessment if your member of Parliament has not established local priorities.

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2025-11-04