by Jennifer Schultz

Environmental work in Canada is getting a boost, with an opportunity for employers to get paid for hiring young professionals through ECO Canada’s International Environmental Youth Corps (IEYC) wage-subsidy program.

Eligible Canadian companies can receive up to $12,000 to host a young professional in a full-time, permanent position related to the environment, such as environmental protection, resource management or sustainability. 

With the high current rate of youth unemployment and strong skill shortages in the environmental sector, the IEYC program offers a win-win solution for unemployed or underemployed young professionals and employers:

• Professionals in the program can build the skills and experience they’ll need for later employment, and 
• Environmental companies receive much-needed support to recruit qualified staff. 

This is not the first year of the program, which has previously seen tremendous success:

• 90% of 2013 IEYC interns secured full-time jobs after their internship term; and
• 95% of 2013 IEYC hosts felt their intern met or exceeded their expectations. 

Key features of the IEYC internship program include: 

• Up to $12,000 in individual wage-subsidies available on a first-come, first-served basis 
• Young professionals can apply to be pre-approved for funding to assist their job search 
• Positions must be full-time and permanent, with a significant environmental and international component to the role 
• Employer hosts must be Canadian-owned or a Canadian subsidiary; young professionals must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants
• Young professionals must be 30 years of age or younger and unemployed, underemployed or working outside their field of study

For more information, please visit www.eco.ca.