NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program

Program Description

Northern Ontario employers can receive higher wage subsidies for 52-week, full-time internships for individuals who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nation, Métis or Inuit), with businesses eligible for up to $52,500 per year and public/non-profits up to $35,000 per year.

Eligibility Requirements

• Businesses, municipalities, Indigenous communities, or not-for-profit organizations located in Northern Ontario
• Northern Ontario is defined by NOHFC as all areas north of, and including, the districts of Muskoka, Parry Sound and Nipissing
• The Indigenous requirement applies to the intern, not to the applicant — any eligible Northern Ontario employer may apply
• Must have been in operation for at least one year
• Must have a minimum of one full-time employee
• Funding covers up to 90% of an Indigenous intern's salary plus the employer's portion of MERCs, to a maximum of $35,000 per year, for municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profit organizations
• Funding covers up to 75% of an Indigenous intern's salary plus the employer's portion of MERCs, to a maximum of $52,500 per year, for businesses
• Interns must identify as an Indigenous person, including First Nation, Métis or Inuit
• Interns must be new entrants into the workforce, transitioning to a new career, or unemployed or underemployed and entering a new field
• Interns must not have previously participated in a NOHFC-funded internship
• Interns must be at least 18 years of age
• Interns must reside in, and be legally entitled to work in, Canada
• The position must be a limited-term internship of 52 weeks with at least 35 hours of work per week
• The intern must be provided with direct onsite supervision
• The organization must recruit through a fair and transparent selection process — a job advertisement posted in at least one public forum, with proof of the posting including opening and closing dates; exceptions may be made for apprenticeship internships
• Immediate family members or relatives of owners and directors cannot be hired, except in smaller Northern communities with a limited labour base
• An organization is eligible for two internship positions at a given time; colleges, universities and research institutions may be eligible for up to five research positions in addition
• An employer hiring an apprentice under a registered apprenticeship program is eligible provided all other criteria are met; an extended placement of up to 18 months is considered for apprenticeships, but only 52 weeks of work are reimbursable
• A second year may be available where the intern must complete more than 52 weeks of full-time professional experience for a certification, designation or registered apprenticeship — a separate application is required
• The intern cannot be hired before the application is submitted to NOHFC
• Recipients must carry at least $2 million in commercial general liability insurance, with a certificate naming NOHFC and its staff as additional insureds, a cross-liability clause, contractual liability coverage and a 30-day notice period for cancellations or changes
• Cannabis manufacturing and retail companies do not qualify for NOHFC programs