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 3 business days.
Hire an Intern
Student internship resources designed for busy entrepreneurs.
Finding, paying for, and integrating interns are just the sorts of activities startups and small businesses lack the resources or time to address.
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 65 universities and colleges in urban and rural centres across Canada. Their mix of cultural backgrounds and disciplines can strengthen the resilience of any company.
Painless process
Many student internships and co-op programs require employers to apply months in advance and piles of paperwork. VFC's fast and supported funding, hiring, and training processes were designed with the realities of entrepreneurs and small businesses in mind.
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
$7,000
Up to $7,000 wage subsidy for eligible internships
1242
Interns supported in 2020
99.4%
Of 2020 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!
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Attend an Employer Webinar
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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Multiple Ways to Find a Student
You can post on the VFC Job Board to access hundreds of eager candidates. Looking for a specific skill set? Review our Candidate Profile Board and reach out directly. Know a great student through your networks? Check that they are eligible for our training and hire them.
Hire & Request Funding
Once you have your fit, you'll submit a quick Hiring Request form. Confirmation of the request secures your funding, and you'll be approved by VFC to support the Intern.
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Get Paid
Subsidies are distributed in two instalments: the first half will be sent within the first 45 days of the Intern's placement; the second half is distributed when the Internship ends.
Meanwhile, Interns get Training
Part of our mission is to deliver 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 details section below.
THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA'S STUDENT WORK PLACEMENT PROGRAM.
“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:
1 - 500 staff.
Located in any province or territory excluding Ontario.
Work from home and remote internships are eligible.
Additionally: The intern(s) you hire have to be in addition to the amount you would typically hire. This is covered and explained during the application process.
Work from home and remote internships are eligible.
Part-time or Full-Time roles accepted.
Proposed job(s) must develop innovation skills or add new value to your organization.
Details
Hiring the same intern twice
The interns you hire must collect a minimum of training points to be eligible to do another internship. We keep track of this, and you can ask at any time.
We are unable to fund internships for/at
- International students;
- Recent graduates;
- Employers based exclusively in Ontario;
- Government departments and crown corporations;
- Credit unions.
Typical Intern Jobs
Sales, Marketing, Software, Hardware Dev, Finance, and Operations. Others accepted.
Wage Subsidy Details
Our program provides a 50% wage subsidy (capped at $5,000), per student per term. Students who self-identify within the following underrepresented categories may qualify for a 70% subsidy, capped at $7,000:
- Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math; major or minor)
- Indigenous People
- People with disabilities
- Newcomers
- First-year students (High school grads who are entering post-secondary in Fall 2021 are not eligible for Summer 2021 funding)
- Visible minority
Hiring Periods
Summer, Fall & Winter Semesters
Post-Secondaries as Employers
Post-secondary institutions (universities, colleges and polytechnics) may not be the employers of record to offer innovative student placements in Summer 2021.
Minimum Wage
Employers must pay $15.00/hour minimum wage.
Internship Length
Up to 20 weeks.
Student eligibility
To learn more about what students are eligible for the program, click here.
Our programs are currently working with 300+ partner companies like:
