During our weekly COVID-19 update webinar, Employment and Skills Development Canada (ESDC) shared changes made to the Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) to assist students and employers during the COVID-19 outbreak:
- Post-secondary institutions are now eligible to hire students under SWPP and receive the wage subsidy. Contact any of the nine organizations selected as SWPP Employer Delivery Partners for more information.
- Start dates and the duration of placements are now more flexible.
- Students are permitted to work remotely and work from home.
- Wage subsidies can be paid up front to SME and not-for-profit employers.
- Employers can have their eligibility for the program confirmed before selecting a student employee.
Additional enhancements, requiring further approvals, to the program are being considered by government. Updated information will soon be available on ESDC’s website. We will keep you informed of all announcements.
For co-operative education and work-integrated learning, we also recommend checking the information and resources being provided by CEWIL Canada.