Youth Employment and Skills Strategy – Funding programs

The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) is a Government of Canada initiative delivered by various federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations. The Strategy supports diverse youth (aged 15 to 30) to become job-ready. It provides youth, including those who face barriers to employment, with work experience, training, skills development and wraparound supports that allow them to successfully transition into diverse sectors of the labour market. Through its wide range of programs, the Strategy invests in young people to build a strong Canadian economy while supporting those who may struggle to get ahead.

Learn about and apply to YESS funding programs

Title	I am an…	Funding intake happens…	Size of Employer…	Programs that support…	Programs with a focus on…	Type of opportunities…	Description
Canada Summer Jobs	audience_employeraudience_serving	frequency_annually	size_under50	support_youthsupport_barrierssupport_indigenoussupport_newcomersupport_studentsupport_postsecondary		opportunity_summer	Employment and Social Development Canada’s CSJ helps youth develop and improve their skills through quality summer jobs. It does so by providing wage subsidies to employers from not-for-profit organizations, the public sector, and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees, to create quality work experiences for youth.
Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) Program	audience_employeraudience_servingaudience_youth	frequency_few	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_barrierssupport_indigenoussupport_newcomersupport_studentsupport_postsecondary			Employment and Social Development Canada’s YESS Program provides funding to organizations to deliver a wide variety of activities that help youth reach their employment goals, with a focus on those furthest from opportunity.
International Youth Internship Program (IYIP)	audience_employeraudience_serving	frequency_few	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_barrierssupport_indigenoussupport_studentsupport_postsecondary	focus_international		Global Affairs Canada’s IYIP gives Canadian youth, especially those facing barriers to employment, opportunities to gain professional experience abroad in the field of international development.
First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy – First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program	audience_employeraudience_serving	frequency_annually	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_indigenous		opportunity_summer	Indigenous Services Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program helps First Nations and Inuit youth gain essential employment skills, learn about job and career options, and prepare for employment and career development.
First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy – First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience Program	audience_employeraudience_serving	frequency_annually	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_indigenoussupport_student		opportunity_summer	Indigenous Services Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience Program gives First Nations and Inuit students summer job opportunities to gain work experience, develop important employability skills, prepare for full-time employment and earn income to support post-secondary education.
Digital Skills for Youth (DS4Y) Program	audience_employeraudience_servingaudience_youth	frequency_few	size_under50size_under500	support_youthsupport_postsecondary	focus_stim		Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada’s DS4Y connects underemployed post-secondary graduates with small businesses and not-for-profit organizations where they can gain meaningful work experience to build the digital skills needed for the digital economy.
Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP) - Green Jobs	audience_employeraudience_youth	frequency_few	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_barrierssupport_indigenoussupport_newcomersupport_studentsupport_postsecondary	focus_stimfocus_greenfocus_agriculture		Natural Resources Canada’s STIP – Green Jobs funds employers to hire, train, and mentor youth for green jobs in the natural resources sector (energy, forestry, mining and critical minerals, earth sciences, and clean technology) including in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
Indigenous Youth Housing Internship Program (IYHIP)	audience_employeraudience_serving	frequency_annually	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_indigenous	focus_housing		Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s IYHIP creates opportunities for First Nation, Inuit and Métis youth to gain valuable work experience and on-the-job training while supporting organizations in addressing housing needs. The program helps youth build skills and start careers in housing or related fields.
Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)	audience_employer	frequency_continuously	size_under50size_under500	support_youthsupport_postsecondary	focus_stim		National Research Council of Canada’s IRAP provides job opportunities for post-secondary graduates to work on technologically innovative projects by connecting them to Canadian small-medium enterprises.
Youth Experience Employment Program	audience_employeraudience_youth	frequency_continuously	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_indigenoussupport_newcomersupport_studentsupport_postsecondary	focus_greenfocus_agriculture	opportunity_summer	Parks Canada's Youth Experience Employment Program helps youth facing barriers gain the skills, work experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition into the labour market, while preserving national parks, historical sites and marine conservation areas.
Young Canada Works in Both Official languages (YCWBOL)	audience_employeraudience_youth	frequency_annually	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_student		opportunity_languageopportunity_summer	Canadian Heritage’s YCWBOL offers short-term jobs to youth aged 15 to 30 to gain work experience and improve their second official language or use their first official language while working for an employer from an official language minority community.
Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage (YCWBCH)	audience_employeraudience_youth	frequency_annually	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_postsecondary	focus_culture		Canadian Heritage’s YCWBCH helps youth acquire professional skills and begin a career in the heritage, arts, or cultural sectors. It does so by offering two types of paid internships (internships in Canada and international internships in museology) to college or university graduates aged 16 to 30.
Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations (YCWHO)	audience_employeraudience_youth	frequency_annually	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_student	focus_culture	opportunity_summer	Canadian Heritage’s YCWHO offers short-term employment opportunities for students aged 16 to 30 by providing wage subsidies to employers to create jobs. The work experiences offer youth the opportunity to improve employment skills while acquiring practical knowledge in the heritage fields such as museums, archives, libraries, etc.
Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP)	audience_employer	frequency_annually	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_youthsupport_barrierssupport_indigenoussupport_newcomersupport_studentsupport_postsecondary	focus_agriculture		Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s YESP provides funding to hire youth, ages 15 to 30, to provide them with work experience and skill development opportunities in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector.
Settlement Program	audience_employeraudience_servingaudience_youth	frequency_few	size_under50size_under500size_over500	support_newcomer			Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Settlement Program provides funding to organizations for projects designed to meet the unique needs of newcomer youth aged 15 to 30 through employment-related services with wrap-around supports.

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2026-05-20