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Hire an Intern

Student internship resources designed for busy entrepreneurs.

Startups and small businesses often lack the resources or time to address finding, paying for, and integrating interns. VFC offers Canada’s only Internship Program that exposes driven university and college students to entrepreneurial & work-readiness training so they can contribute from day one.

Strength in Diversity
VFC Interns come from over 108 universities and colleges in urban and rural centers across Canada. Their mix of cultural backgrounds and disciplines can strengthen the resilience of any company.
Flexible Painless process
Many student internships and co-op programs require employers to think inside the box. VFC's fast and supported funding, hiring, and training processes were designed with the realities of entrepreneurs and small businesses in mind. Plus, we offer part-time or full-time internships and flexible start dates to suit your needs.
In-Time Training for Your Interns
De-risk student hires. VFC-trained Interns are less green so they can start contributing value sooner. And they continue their VFC training throughout their internship with you.
By The Numbers
$7000
Up to $7000 wage subsidy for eligible internships
1677
Interns supported in 2022
98%
Of 2021 intern employers would recommend VFC's internship
How It Works

A program designed with the needs of small businesses in mind

Fast approval, flexible process, and simple, digital forms. No extra paperwork; we know you have a company to run!

1
Check if you Qualify & Apply
Complete our information form below to make sure this is a good fit. We'll then send you a link to our full application and review it within 5 business days.
Attend an Employer Onboarding Session
You'll hear from us once you're in, and you'll attend a webinar where our team will answer questions, give recommendations and set you up for success to hire. We host webinars on a rolling weekly basis. You have to attend, so expectations are aligned.
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3
Multiple Ways to Find a Student
You can post on the VFC Bulletin Board to access hundreds of eager candidates. Know a great student through your networks? Check that they are eligible for our program and hire them.
Hire & Request Funding
Once you have your fit, you'll submit a quick Hiring Request form. This form is a crucial step: confirmation of the request secures your funding. We’re checking the eligibility of your student, the job, and other details of the internship. Once you submit, we’ll get back to you in 15 business days with the next steps.
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Get Paid
Subsidies are distributed in two installments: the first half will be sent within the first 45 days of the Intern's placement; the second half is distributed within 45 days of the Internship completion.
Meanwhile, Interns get Training
Our goal is to create entrepreneurial training, and VFC Interns can customize what they want to focus on. Interns develop key entry-level skills needed by Canadian employers: coachability, productivity, and resilience, making their onboarding process into your company easier.
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Hire Again!
Once you're deemed eligible as an employer, you can skip steps 1 and 2 and hire again. Some conditions may apply. See the details section below.
THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA'S STUDENT WORK PLACEMENT PROGRAM.
Learn more
“VFC makes applying for funding easy. The people are great. The application is straight forward. Barriers of the traditional intern hiring process have been reduced and the training delivers more qualified interns.”
Carolann Harding
CEO
SmartIce

Is this a fit for your business?

To meet the conditions of our funding, businesses and internships must meet the following criteria:

Be a small or medium-sized business, start-up, social enterprise, nonprofit, or charity

Registered in one of the following Canadian provinces or territories: BC, AB, SK, MB, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL, YT, NT, or NU

Employ fewer than 500 people

Provide a safe and supportive internship that develops innovation or entrepreneurial skill-building opportunities

Apply Here
Funding Details
Our program provides a 50-70% wage subsidy (capped at $7,000), per student per term. Employers are required to pay Interns a minimum wage of $18.00/hour or higher via payroll. This funding subsidizes both hourly wages. Half of your allowable subsidy is paid within six weeks of your intern's start date, and the remainder is paid upon completion of the placement.
Part-time or Full time Internships
Interns may work full or part time for your organization; these terms should be discussed directly with your candidates.
Work from Home Internships
Work from home and remote internships are supported. Students must still receive virtual supervision and coaching.
Details
Hiring Periods
Summer, Fall & Winter Semesters
We are unable to fund internships for/at
  • International students;
  • Recent graduates;
  • Employers based exclusively in Ontario;
  • Government departments and crown corporations;
  • Credit unions;
  • Post-Secondary Institutions
Important dates (Winter Cohort)
  • Employer applications will be accepted until October 25th, 2024
  • Final Employer Onboarding Session will be held on October 28th, 2024
  • Final day to submit a job opportunity to the Internship Job Board is November 8th, 2024 (or before funding has been fully allocated)
  • Internship START date window: December 30th, 2024 - January 13th, 2025
  • Internship END date window: February 21st, 2025 - June 13th, 2025
50% vs 70% subsidy
All eligible internships qualify for a 50% wage subsidy. To receive a 70% wage subsidy, employers must hire a student from an underrepresented group, such as:
  • a woman studying in STEM;
  • students with disabilities;
  • an Indigenous student;
  • a newcomer to Canada;
  • a first-year student;
  • a visible minority
Typical Intern Roles
Sales, Marketing, Software, Hardware Dev, Finance, and Operations. We want to support all entrepreneurial jobs, other types are encouraged!
Hiring Multiple Interns
Employers participating in our program for the first time: 
  • 1 Intern for organizations with 1-2 staff
  • 2 interns for organizations with 3+ staff
  Employers who have participated before:
  • 2 Interns for organizations with 1-5 staff
  • 3 Interns for organizations with 5+ staff
Hiring the same intern twice
The interns you hire must collect a minimum of training points to be eligible to do another internship. Interns have the ability to see how many points they have, and are responsible for their own learning journey.
Student eligibility
  • Full and part-time students enrolled in an accredited Canadian college or university
  • Studying any discipline, at any diploma or degree level
  • Hold Canadian citizenship, Permanent Residency or refugee status (International students are not eligible)
Post-Secondaries as Employers
Post-secondary institutions (universities, colleges, and polytechnics) are no longer eligible to be employers.
Minimum Wage
Employers must pay at least $18.00/hour. On average, our employers typically pay their interns about $22/hour.
Hiring Requests
Submit a Hiring Request for the Winter 2025 cohort between October 21st and November 15th, 2024, or until all funding has been allocated. The link can be found here https://here.ventureforcanada.ca/en/ip-hiringrequest. Eligible Employers will receive the password to this form on October 21st, 2024 when submissions open. Please note, that funding will only be allocated to a fully eligible employer who has completed the initial application and attended an onboarding session. Please reach out to internemployers@ventureforcanada.ca if you have any questions.
OUR PROGRAMS ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH 1162+ PARTNER COMPANIES LIKE: