Canada: 2022-23 First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program

Deadline: 7-Feb-22

The Government of Canada is pleased to announce the 2022-23 First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program (SLP) to help First Nations and Inuit youth acquire essential employment skills and learn about job and career options.

Activities may include career promotion, science and technology activities, co-operative education placements and internships and mentored work placements.

The program:

promotes the benefits and importance of education to youth participation in the labour market
supports the development and improvement of essential employability skills, such as communication, problem-solving and working with others
introduces youth to a variety of career options
helps youth gain skills by providing wage subsidies for mentored work experience or for mentored school-based work and study opportunities

Funding is provided to eligible First Nations and Inuit communities, governments and organizations, as well as not-for-profit associations, schools and employers who then provide activities for First Nations and Inuit youth.

Objectives

The objectives of the SLP are:

to promote the benefits of education as key to labour market participation
to support the development and enhancement of essential employability skills among First Nations and Inuit youth such as communication skills, problem solving and working with others
to introduce youth to a variety of career options
to help youth acquire skills by providing wage subsidies for mentored work experience
to support the provision of mentored school-based work and study opportunities such as co-operative education and internships
to help First Nations and Inuit youth overcome barriers to employment

Key Activities

The key activities of SLP are:

wage subsidies for work placements and mentorship for youth who are not in school to enable them to develop employability skills and support their educational and career development
activities designed to support First Nations and Inuit youth entrepreneurs gain self-employment
training experiences that support youth in acquiring skills needed for work placements
career development information, including awareness and support activities like career fairs and leadership projects
career planning and counselling activities
activities that promote science and technology as an educational or career choice, including science camps, computer clubs and activities that connect science and technology to traditional Indigenous knowledge

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible recipients are:
- First Nations and Inuit governments and organizations
- First Nations schools or federal schools on reserve
- Not-for-profit associations
- Private sector employers
Eligible recipients may then enter into agreements with private sector and non-profit sector employers to access employment opportunities for youth.
Not-for-profit organizations and private sector employers may be eligible for direct funding for activities that provide opportunities for eligible First Nations and Inuit youth and fall within program guidelines. Not-for-profit organizations may be eligible to receive funding to cover up to 100% of eligible expenditures.
Private sector employers may be eligible to receive funding to cover funding up to 50% of eligible expenditures.
Eligible youth participants
- First Nations and Inuit youth aged 15 to 30 who are either:
- ordinarily resident on reserve or in a recognized community (an approved settlement on Crown land)
- Inuit who are residents in Canada, but who reside outside their territory, and are no longer eligible to be funded by their territory (proof of refusal is required)
Mentored work placements are for youth who are not in school or are unemployed or underemployed.
Ordinarily resident on reserve means that eligible youth:
- live on reserve
- do not maintain a primary residence off reserve
- may be temporarily off reserve for the primary purpose of seeking education
- Co-operative education placements are for students in grades 7 to 12 (secondary 1 to secondary 5), enrolled in and attending a federal or band-operated school.
- For activities promoting careers and science and technology, youth may be younger than 15 years of age.