AgriTalent

Overview of the AgriTalent program:

CAHRC’s AgriTalent program supports the development of connections between post-secondary students, employers in agriculture and post-secondary institutions and contributes towards preparing a job-ready workforce for the Canadian agriculture industry. As part of this program, subsidized Work Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities connect employers with post-secondary students to ensure higher participation by post-secondary students within the industry with special focus on including under-represented and equity-seeking groups. Work Integrated Learning is an important component in attracting youth to the Canadian agriculture industry. CAHRC’s Growing Opportunities Student Wage Subsidy Program empowers employers to hire post-secondary students as part of the work-integrated learning components of their academic courses. The Program also presents activities such as webinars, networking sessions, business case competitions to engage students and post-secondary institutions with the industry and improve their job readiness. 50% of the wages (to a maximum of $5,000) for each net new placement. 70% of the wages (to a maximum of $7,000) for each net new placement for under-represented groups including women in STEM, Indigenous students, newcomers, and persons with disabilities, visible minority as well as first-year students.

Benefits of the AgriTalent program:

• Wage subsidies of up to $7500 per student are available.

Eligibility criteria of the AgriTalent program:

• Employer Eligibility:
• Registered Canadian businesses and not-for-profit organizations from the Agriculture Industry (including but not limited to field crops, primary producers, greenhouse, horticulture, aquaculture, veterinary clinics servicing farm animals/ livestock, farm equipment dealerships, input dealers and agriculture-focused media agencies)
• Willing to hire students from both agriculture and non-agriculture backgrounds to provide quality work-integrated learning experiences to post-secondary students across Canada
• Willing to hire post-secondary students from under-represented groups such as women in STEM, first-year students, Indigenous communities, students with disabilities, visible minorities, and newcomers to Canada
• Committed to paying the student for the role and having the financial capacity to pay the student for the duration of the placement in full (the wage subsidy will be administered after receiving the final pay stub at the end of the placement)
• Compliant with all federal and provincial human rights and labor legislation, regulations, and any other relevant standards including the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Employment Standards Act
• Where legally required, responsible for Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) or alternate workplace insurance coverage
• Student Eligibility:
• Registered as a domestic student in a recognized post-secondary institution in a full-time or part-time program.
• Undergraduate, graduate, diploma, or certificate programs are eligible.
• Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
• Legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations
• Undertaking a placement recognized as a Work-Integrated Learning component by the students institution in connection with a course, degree, certificate, diploma, or other recognized program offered by the institution.
• International students are NOT eligible
• Placements:
• Must meet requirements of a Net NEW placement as defined by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
• Can be full-time or part-time positions
• The position can include co-op placements, internships, field placements, or applied projects to solve particular problems for employers
• Stacking with provincial tax credits is allowed, but its the employers responsibility to follow their provincial tax credit guidelines and consult a tax professional. Wage subsidy funds cannot be counted toward any tax credits, only actual paid wages.
• Placements can be partially funded by non-federal (provincial, municipal, territorial) funds but only funds from non-governmental sources are eligible for subsidy. For example, a position paid with 60% provincial grant funding is only eligible for a subsidy calculated on the remaining 40% of the funds paid by the employer.