Young Canada Works – Information for Employer Applicants

Part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, the Canadian Museums Association (CMA) collaborates with the Department of Canadian Heritage in delivering the Young Canada Works program, which offers summer jobs and internships in museums and related organizations. This program is an important investment in the future of the museum industry, creating development opportunities for future colleagues. The YCW in Heritage Organizations (YCWHO) funds summer job placements, while the YCW Building Careers in Heritage (YCWBCH) funds heritage internships for graduates.


Program

YCW in Heritage Organizations (YCWHO)

YCWHO funds summer job placements for students aged 15 to 30.

The employer application deadline for the YCW in Heritage Organizations (Summer Jobs) program has passed. Decisions are expected to be released in April. All applications will be evaluated by the Peer Review Committee. All employer applicants to the CMA will receive a response.

YCW at Building Careers in Heritage (YCWBCH)

YCWBCH funds heritage internships that can last up to one year in length, for recent college/university graduates between the ages of 15 and 30.

The employer application deadline for YCW at Building Careers in Heritage Organizations (graduate internships) has passed. Decisions are expected to be released in May. Applications will be evaluated by a Peer Review Committee. All employer applicants to the CMA will be notified of funding decisions.
Which organizations can apply?

The CMA’s priority is to fund museums and related organizations in Canada.

Please consult the full YCWHO eligibility criteria on the YCW website.

The CMA’s priority is to fund museums and related organizations in Canada.

Canadian organizations that wish to apply for an international project proposal must coordinate their application with the host museum/organization abroad.

Please consult the full YCWBCH eligibility criteria on the YCW website.
Who are the youth participants?

Summer positions are aimed at full-time students who are intending to return to full-time studies in the next semester.

Please review the YCW participant eligibility criteria here.

Given the increasing demand from youth for YCWHO summer jobs, employers are encouraged to give priority to recruiting new participants in this program. Employers whose preferred candidate has previously participated in a YCWHO position at their organization must provide written justification to their delivery organization explaining how the new position will further develop the participant’s skills and knowledge.

Internships are aimed at post-secondary graduates.

Please review the YCW participant eligibility criteria here.

Please note that youth participants must not have previously participated in or been paid under this or any other Career Focus internship program funded under the Government of Canada's  Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.
Duration of positions
  • 6 to 16 weeks
  • 30 to 40 hours per week
  • Part-time employment is permitted for candidates with a disability
  • Positions must be scheduled during the summer, generally May to early-September
  • 4 to 12 months in Canada, 6 to 12 months for international projects
  • 30 to 40 hours per week
  • Part-time employment is permitted for candidates with a disability.
  • The entire internship must be scheduled within the Government of Canada’s fiscal year (April 1 to March 31)
  • Most YCWBCH internships typically begin in the autumn
How much funding is available?
  • YCW contributes a maximum of 75% of salary costs
  • $8,000 per job maximum
  • Please note that a substantial portion of the CMA’s funding is reserved for small and medium-sized museums with annual operating budgets of less than $1 million.
  • YCW normally contributes between 25% and 50% of employment costs (wages, benefits and other eligible expenditures) and may, as warranted, contribute up to 75% of employment costs. At least 80% of the YCW contribution is reserved for the intern's wages and allowances
  • Maximum contributions are $10,000 per internship in Canada, $12,000 for a Conservation Science internship in Canada, and $15,000 for an international internship.
Can international projects be offered? No. All work locations must be at heritage organizations in Canada. Yes. YCWBCH funding may support both Canadian and international projects. Please click here for more information on developing an international internship proposal.
What types of positions can be funded? The CMA supports jobs that build upon the many functions of a museum, such as:
  • Collections Management;
  • Curatorial Research;
  • Conservation, Preservation;
  • Education, Interpretation, Public Programming; and
  • Museum Administration and Marketing.

Applicants should consider offering innovative employment opportunities for our future colleagues that make use of their capacity and passion for the sector.

Please note that CMA’s YCW program does not fund general maintenance, custodial, or grounds keeping positions.
How to apply? Submit an online application at young-canada-works.canada.ca before the deadline.

The CMA strongly suggests that all employer applicants prepare and save the content of their application in a Word or text file prior to accessing the online application.

Consult our Twitter Story for tips on building a good YCWHO application.
Next application deadline

The deadline for YCWHO (summer student) applications for the 2020-2021 program year (summer 2020) is January 15, 2020 .

The deadline for YCWBCH (internships) applications for the 2020-2021 program year is March 1, 2020 .

How are employer applications reviewed and selected? All positions are evaluated by a peer review committee of museum professionals. Selection is based on the program criteria established by the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Selection criteria for:
When are decisions released?

The peer review and evaluation process takes a minimum of two months to complete. Decisions for YCWHO are typically released in April. YCWBCH decisions are typically released in May.

All employer applicants will receive a response.
What are the YCW program’s service standards?

Acknowledgement
We will acknowledge receipt of a funding application within 10 calendar days.

Decision
Our goal is to issue an official notification of the funding decision within 10 weeks of the application deadline.

YCW employer contracts
We will issue a contract to be signed by the YCW employer within 15 calendar days of the approval of all candidates and receipt of all required information.

Payment
Payments will be issued within 21 calendar days of the fulfillment of the requirements outlined in the contract signed with the YCW employer.
If I am selected, what paperwork will I have to fill?

Approved employers will be required to sign a contract and complete mandatory reports at the beginning and end of the work term. This checklist will provide you with more detailed information.

Contract Terms and Conditions are available here:
How are youth participants selected?

Approved employers are responsible for conducting their own recruitment.

Employers must recruit for approved positions through a fair and balanced selection process (i.e. open competitions and unbiased adjudication of eligible candidates), and respond to youth applicants in a timely manner.

Employers must confirm that their candidates are registered on the YCW interactive website. This candidate inventory also serves as an online recruitment resource for employers to staff their YCW positions.

Please review the YCW participant eligibility criteria for the summer job program here, and for the internship program here.
Other resources Please consult the Employer Guide for more information about this and other YCW programs.

Other organizations offering the YCW program in the heritage sector include:
Was your YCW project a success? CMA welcomes your success stories! Please tell us about your experience. Please click here for more information.

To read past success stories, please click here.
Questions?

For inquiries:
Mark Poirier
Manager, YCW in Heritage Organizations
mpoirier@museums.ca
613-567-0099 ext 252

For inquiries:
Nathan Hasselstrom  
Manager, YCW at Building Careers in Heritage
nhasselstrom@museums.ca
613-567-0099 ext 246