ETA Academy applications are now open!

With 76% of small business owners planning to exit in the next decade, there’s never been a better time to buy a business.

Accelerate your journey with a community that has your back.

Apply Today

Fellowship Partner Program

Prepared post-secondary grads to help your business grow

Meet eager to succeed recent graduates. Our partnership saves you time, money, and hassle on your next entry-level hire. VFC Fellows are dynamic, adaptive, and selected for our Fellowship program based on their grit at a time when resilience is as important as technical skills.

Heavy-vetting
We screen our Fellows for entrepreneurial competencies like commitment to learning and growth mindsets. Your team reaps the benefits and avoids the financial, morale, and cultural costs of churn.
Innovation Mindsets
Meet the right candidates. VFC Fellows are startup candidates eager to solve the challenges faced by new ventures. The valuable experience and role-specific training make them comfortable with independent problem-solving sooner.
Job-ready
Fellows participate in soft skills and job-readiness training from educators and ecosystem leaders at successful startups. Plus they’re prepped with role-specific knowledge to ease the onboarding process for you.
By The Numbers
80%
Partners Agree Hiring & Onboarding is Accelerated
365
Fellowship Partner Startups since 2015
200+
hours of job skills training
How It Works

A collaborative process

Hiring VFC Fellows links you to resourceful future leaders.

1
Tell us About Yourself & Book a Call
Complete the form below to see if you qualify; our team will ensure you meet the criteria and reach out to you personally to book a call. We connect with founders, people-operations, human resources and management teams.
Let’s Partner
You'll tell us about your startup and hiring needs so we can present multiple opportunities to connect with young talent. Our partnership agreement unlocks access to the job board, candidate profiles, community events, and employer brand features.
2
3
Ongoing Access & Connections to Talent
You'll set up a profile on our Fellow exclusive job board. Post open positions. Put interdisciplinary and diverse startup-aligned talent at your fingertips. You'll be invited to attend our dynamic 'Connect Events' for speed interviewing and to accelerate your hiring process.
Secure Your Hires
Peak hiring times are April – September, with opportunities to hire year-round. Once you find your fit, go ahead and make your offers.
4
5
Ongoing Continued Support
Fellows build a valuable toolkit of entrepreneurial skills over 12 months of ongoing training, group meetups and informal mentoring from VFC’s perpetually growing alumni and stakeholder network. We finalize our annual cohort every April.
This program is funded by fees, sponsors, and private donors.
Learn more
''The Entrepreneurial skills VFC grads bring with them are invaluable. Working remotely, and in a constantly changing world, we need empathetic, resourceful, and resilient thinkers now more than ever.''
Lisa Elder
Director, People and Talent
#paid
“Working with us”

Want a recent grad trained to succeed at a start-up, deal with ambiguity, and is entrepreneurial-minded?

Your startup must meet the following criteria to qualify:

Operates in a Canadian province or territory

Under 10 years in business

Fewer than 250 staff

No fee to partner, review, or interview VFC Fellows

Apply Here
No Hiring Fee
NEW for 2024
Details
Why did you remove the hiring fee for 2024?
VFC has decided to remove the fee for 2024 due to the ongoing challenges of the current economic climate. We aim to connect our Partner Startups with the best possible candidates, and don't want fees to be a barrier in this process.
Fellow Education Backgrounds
  • Business: 40.3%
  • STEM: 35.5%
  • Arts/Humanities: 17.8%
  • Other: 6.4%
Typical Fellow Roles
Sales, Operations, Customer Success, Marketing, Product, Analyst, Research, and more!
Fellowship Training
Fellows receive entrepreneurial skills training in three phases:
  • PHASE 1 | Job seeking training, coaching & support starts as soon as Fellows are accepted 
  • PHASE 2 | Entrepreneurial, role-specific, and soft skill training happen during the mandatory three-week Fellowship Training Camp in-person in May 2023. 
  • PHASE 3 | Ongoing “in-time” training designed by our team ensures the learning is relevant takes place post-Training Camp, with monthly live sessions with industry experts and entrepreneurs, and courses, resources, and more. Fellows have a community of 280+ Alumni and peers to problem solve with. 
OUR PROGRAMS ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH PARTNER COMPANIES LIKE: