Frequently asked questions

Co-operative Education and Internship Program

1. What is the difference between a Co-operative Education (CO-OP) program and an Internship?

In a CO-OP program, classroom instruction is alternated with semesters of work placement and performance evaluation in workplaces related to the field of study. An internship is on-the-job training under the supervision of experienced workers that is designed to give students the required skills and knowledge for entry into a trade or profession.

2. What is the normal duration of the assignments?

The academic institution determines the duration of each CO-OP or internship work assignment. In general, CO-OP assignments last four months. Internship assignments may vary from four to 18 months. With prior approval of the academic institution, managers may offer students back-to-back work terms.

3. May I hire a student from any CO-OP or Internship program?

No.

Public service managers may only recruit students enrolled in PSC approved CO-OP and Internship programs. Please consult the list of approved programs.

4. How is the area of selection for a CO-OP or an Internship assignment determined?

The requirement to establish a national area of selection does not apply for a CO-OP placement. However, by considering candidates from across the country, you can access a broad pool of talent to assist in meeting your short and long-term hiring needs.

5. What things should be considered in creating a reasonable pool of candidates for a CO-OP or Internship assignment?

Organizations should consider:

• Which academic program(s) will best meet their needs;
• Whether the CO-OP or Internship program is approved by the PSC; and
• That considering students from more than one institution will result in a reasonable pool of qualified candidates, including members of designated employment equity groups.

6. Can a non-Canadian student who meets the requirements of the position be hired?

In keeping with paragraph 39(1)(c) of the Public Service Employment Act, preference must be given to Canadian citizens. Accordingly, a work term must be offered to a Canadian student who meets the requirements before the position can be offered to a non-Canadian student.

7. When no Canadians qualify, or when there are not enough qualified Canadians to meet my needs, can qualified non-Canadian applicants be appointed?

Yes.

If no Canadians qualify, or when there are not enough qualified Canadians to meet the organization's needs, non-Canadians who have qualified can be appointed. However, non-Canadians who are selected must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

Research Affiliate Program

1. How does the Research Affiliate Program (RAP) address intellectual property (IP) issues?

The Crown retains possession of IP related to material produced by the student while participating in the RAP. The issue must be addressed in the hiring organization's contractual agreement with the academic institution, ensuring that the Crown retains the IP rights while the student is granted the ability to publish his/her findings and research to fulfil academic requirements, or whenever necessary and appropriate. Sample agreements can be made available upon request by contacting cfp.par-rap.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca.

2. I work for a separate agency. Can I use the RAP?

Yes.

Federal departments within the broad public service, including those not governed by the Public Service Employment Act, may use the RAP.

3. Can RAP students work full-time?

Yes.

Students employed under RAP can work full-time if their academic course loads permit. In most cases, students who are studying at the masters or PhD level have fulfilled their academic requirements and are able to work full-time until graduation. The recommended maximum amount of work for part-time RAP jobs is 25 hours per week, to allow students to balance their work, studies and personal lives.

4. Is there a maximum duration for a student's work term?

No.

The duration of a student's work placement under RAP can be any length of time that the research project requires, as long as the student remains eligible under the program. To extend the term for which a student is initially hired, managers must complete the RAP Request for Re-employment form.

5. Do I have to contact everyone on my referral list?

Yes.

You must contact and assess every student on your referral list.

6. Do I have to communicate the assessment results to every candidate?

Yes.

You must advise all students of the assessment results, including those who were not found qualified as a result of the assessment.

7. Is the RAP only available to students studying in scientific areas in which their research is purely in a laboratory setting or related field research?

Initially, this was the target student audience for RAP. We have now opened the program to any area of study in which a student would like to conduct research. The research project to which a student is assigned must help the student develop specific knowledge and research skills.

8. Do I have to renew a RAP student's work term every four months?

No.

A re-employment can be done for the entire period of the project, if the student is still registered full-time at an academic institution and the research being conducted by the student requires additional time.

9. What are the options for paying RAP students?

• Salary
• Stipend
• Bursary

10. For what period is a student paid as a RAP participant?

If the student's RAP assignment is to complete a thesis or dissertation, the student should be paid up until the time he/she is ready for his/her defence. The write-up for either the thesis or dissertation should realistically take no more than two months to accomplish after the research has been completed. For all other research activities, the student should only be paid for the time worked.

11. Can a non-Canadian student who meets the requirements of the position be hired?

In keeping with section 39(1)(c) of the Public Service Employment Act, preference must be given to Canadian citizens. Accordingly, a work term must be offered to a Canadian student who meets the requirements before the position can be offered to a non-Canadian student.

Recruitment of Policy Leaders Program

1. How does the Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL) program select the people who are eligible for positions in the federal government?

A thorough assessment process based on a generic Statement of Merit Criteria required for a policy leader is employed to recruit candidates for federal organizations. Please refer to the hiring process.

2. How does the interview process work? Will the organization pay for travel costs to the interview?

Successful candidates pass through a minimum of two rounds of interviews. The first interview will involve a senior official and policy advisors and will occur in numerous sites across Canada and internationally, or by phone. Travel costs for the first round of interviews are the responsibility of the candidate. The second round of interviews takes place in Ottawa with senior officials from across the federal government. Those chosen for a second round of interviews in Ottawa have their travel costs covered by the RPL program.

3. In what language will the interview be held?

Interviews will be held in the official language of the candidate's choice (English or French).

4. What is a partially-assessed pool?

A partially-assessed pool is when candidates have been assessed against some of the merit criteria and where hiring organizations may add additional criteria to meet their specific needs. The RPL assesses candidates against a generic merit criteria required for a policy leader. The PSC provides hiring organizations with a list of candidates from this partially-assessed pool, who may be further assessed in order to meet all merit criteria on the hiring organization's Statement of Merit Criteria, including conditions of employment, in order to be appointed to a position in the public service.

5. Does the assessment include second language evaluation and security clearance?

No. As the RPL is advertised for various language requirements, it is the hiring organization's responsibility to ensure that candidates meet the language requirements of the position, whether staffed on an imperative or non-imperative basis.

With respect to security clearance, it is the hiring organization's responsibility to ensure this condition of employment is met.

6. Is assistance with relocation costs available to RPL candidates?

Yes, in accordance with the National Joint Council's Relocation Directive, Section XII, which provides guidance on relocation costs for newly appointed public service employees. It is the hiring organization's responsibility to cover these costs.

7. In the event that we wish to hire a participant from the partially-assessed pool, are we required to complete a second assessment?

Organizations are required to assess referrals against their Statement of Merit Criteria to ensure that they meet all the merit criteria, including those stated in the Qualification Standards of the respective occupational group and all of the conditions of employment (security clearance, for example). Candidates may be appointed through an external advertised appointment process.

8. Should language training be given to those appointed through the RPL program?

Organizations are strongly encouraged to make language training available to anyone appointed through the RPL program, who will derive benefit from enhancing their skill in either official language. It is mandatory in instances where individuals are appointed to bilingual non-imperative positions.

9. How can organizations within the public service learn more about the RPL program?

RPL and PSC representatives are available to meet organizational management teams so that your managers can learn more about the RPL. Please contact the PSC at cfp.rlp-rpl.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca.