Student and graduate employment programs

Learn about student and graduate employment programs within the federal government. Find out the benefits of working with Health Canada (HC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

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About our student and graduate employment programs

Close to a thousand opportunities for students are available every year at HC and PHAC.

Student employees work on a broad range of health, social and regulatory issues. Areas of employment include:

Benefits of working with us

Working with us provides you with the opportunity to:

Existing employment programs for students

The federal public service offers 3 types of student employment programs. These programs aim to provide you with valuable government work experience or research opportunities before you graduate.

Post-Secondary Co-operative Education and Internship Program (CO-OP/ Internship)

The Federal Student Work Experience Program

The Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) provides full-time students with the opportunity to:

This program also offers an Aboriginal Student Employment Program option which is open to First Nations, Inuit and Métis students.

Research Affiliate Program (RAP)

The Research Affiliate Program provides post-secondary students with part-time opportunities to conduct innovative research and gain experience with federal organizations.

You must be enrolled in a program that requires you to do research to qualify for your diploma. You will gain experience in various aspects of applied research, including:

Recruitment programs available to graduates

The federal public service offers a range of programs to help post-secondary graduates:

Student bridging program for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada

If you are interested in a career with us, we encourage you to apply to our inventory of former students. In order to be eligible for the inventory, you must be:

The inventory is a database of candidates who are eligible to be hired into positions that are:

You can apply by e-mailing HC and PHAC's Student Office for more information.

Public Service Commission of Canada's (PSC) Post-Secondary Recruitment Campaign

The PSC's Post-Secondary Recruitment Campaign has a range of job opportunities that are suited for university and college graduates.

Eligible graduates should create a jobs.gc.ca account and watch for the annual mid-September to mid-October timelines to submit applications.

Aboriginal Persons Inventory

As part of the PSC's Post-Secondary Recruitment Campaign there is a section on careers for Indigenous persons. Graduates can submit their applications to the inventory for consideration for future openings.

Advanced Policy Analyst Program (APAP)

The Advanced Policy Analyst Program is open to recent master's level graduates (within the last two calendar years). It offers the opportunity to establish a foundation of knowledge and experience for policy roles in federal public administration.

Recruitment of Policy Leaders Campaign (RPL)

The Recruitment of Policy Leaders Campaign recruits exceptional candidates into mid- to senior-level policy positions in the federal public service. The initiative is designed to attract top-level graduates and professionals:

Participants in this program have diverse educational backgrounds, such as:

The Financial Officer and Internal Auditor Recruitment and Development Program (FORD/IARD)

The Financial Officer and Internal Auditor Recruitment and Development Program targets eligible university graduates. Recruits interested in finance and internal audit are placed in full-time, entry-level positions across departments and agencies.

Support resources

Our Student Office provides important resources for students, including:

You can e-mail the Student Office for more information.

For more information

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