Funding to provide work skills to First Nations and Inuit youth

Get a contribution to develop projects that helps First Nations and Inuit youth acquire essential employment skills and learn about job and career options.

Status

Not currently accepting project proposals

The First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program is one of 2 programs under the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy.

This program supports activities that assist youth in acquiring the essential skills that will help them gain employment, function well in the workplace and learn about job and career options.

Activities may include career promotion, science and technology activities, co-operative education placements and internships and mentored work placements.

The program:

• promotes the benefits and importance of education to youth participation in the labour market
• supports the development and improvement of essential employability skills, such as communication, problem-solving and working with others
• introduces youth to a variety of career options
• helps youth gain skills by providing wage subsidies for mentored work experience or for mentored school-based work and study opportunities

Funding is provided to eligible First Nations and Inuit communities, governments and organizations, as well as not-for-profit associations, schools and employers who then provide activities for First Nations and Inuit youth.

• First Nations and Inuit governments and organizations
• First Nations schools or federal schools on reserve
• Not-for-profit associations
• Private sector employers

Eligible recipients may then enter into agreements with private sector and non-profit sector employers to access employment opportunities for youth.

Not-for-profit organizations and private sector employers may be eligible for direct funding for activities that provide opportunities for eligible First Nations and Inuit youth and fall within program guidelines. Not-for-profit organizations may be eligible to receive funding to cover up to 100% of eligible expenditures.

Private sector employers may be eligible to receive funding to cover funding up to 50% of eligible expenditures.

Eligible youth participants

First Nations and Inuit youth aged 15 to 30 who are either:

• ordinarily resident on reserve or in a recognized community (an approved settlement on Crown land)

or

• Inuit who are residents in Canada, but who reside outside their territory, and are no longer eligible to be funded by their territory (proof of refusal is required)

Mentored work placements are for youth who are not in school or are unemployed or underemployed.

Ordinarily resident on reserve means that eligible youth:

• live on reserve
• do not maintain a primary residence off reserve
• may be temporarily off reserve for the primary purpose of seeking education

Co-operative education placements are for students in grades 7 to 12 (secondary 1 to secondary 5), enrolled in and attending a federal or band-operated school.

For activities promoting careers and science and technology, youth may be younger than 15 years of age.

Give your application the best chance at approval. AKR Consulting has an 99% approval rating across all Canadian funding programs.