Grant
Federal
Active
Propel Student Work Placement Program
Tourism HR Canada (delivery partner for the Government of Canada Student Work Placement Program)
Maximum Funding
50% of eligible costs
Ongoing — applications are made per academic term through the Propel portal; ...
Difficulty
Easy
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
50%
Propel Student Work Placement Program provides up to 50% of total gross wages up to a maximum of $5,000 per placement. Wage subsidy for tourism and hospitality employers hiring post-secondary students for work-integrated learning placements such as co-ops and internships. The program covers up to 50% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details
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Program Description
Wage subsidy for tourism and hospitality employers hiring post-secondary students for work-integrated learning placements such as co-ops and internships. Employers are reimbursed 50% of the student's total gross wages, up to $5,000 per placement. Tourism HR Canada delivers this on behalf of the Government of Canada's Student Work Placement Program, and only businesses in or serving the visitor economy can access it.
Eligibility Requirements
- Employer must be a registered Canadian business, startup or not-for-profit related to the tourism and hospitality sector, and/or the role must relate to a tourism/hospitality job function
- The visitor economy includes five industry groups: accommodations, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation, and travel services — which covers events, concerts, meetings and conventions, museums, galleries, cultural and heritage sites, destination marketing and tour operators
- Student must be domestic — a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person to whom refugee protection has been conferred — and legally entitled to work in Canada under the applicable provincial or territorial law
- Student must be registered at a recognized Canadian post-secondary institution in a program that includes a work placement / work-integrated learning component
- Student must be hired as an employee of the company, not as an independent contractor
- The placement must be a full- or part-time work-integrated learning opportunity of at least 20 hours a week and at least 4 weeks
- On-site, remote and hybrid placements are all eligible
- The placement must not be funded by other federal grants or programs
- The employer cannot hire an immediate family member unless a clear, transparent and fair nepotism policy is in place
- The student cannot replace a displaced worker or fill a role left vacant due to a labour dispute
- The placement must take place in a safe environment
- As of April 1, 2026, the net-new rule applies only to businesses that employ over 100 full-time employees
- Employers subject to the net-new rule must demonstrate a projected increase in the number of paid work-integrated learning students hired above their baseline year
- An employer may hire multiple students, provided it has sufficient resources to give each one a meaningful work-integrated learning experience
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Easy
Competition
Low
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- 50% of total gross wages up to a maximum of $5,000 per placement
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing — applications are made per academic term through the Propel portal; no fixed calendar deadline is published
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
Low
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win Propel Student Work Placement Program
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 10 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 6-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 8-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 2-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipTwo details decide how much you actually get back.
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Rejection Pitfalls 10
- Employer is not in, or the role does not relate to, the tourism and hospitality sector
+9 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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8 steps
6 docs
Application Steps
1
Confirm you are in the visitor economy Check that your business is a registered Canadian business, startup or not-for-profit related to tourism and hospitality — accommodations, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation, or travel services — or that the role itself is a tourism/hospitality job function.
Required Documents 6
✓ Wage subsidy application submitted through the Propel portal (Outcome Campus Connect / Magnet)
✓ Signed Propel Agreements — both the Employer Agreement and the Student Agreement provided by Tourism HR Canada (due within 3 weeks of receiving the agreement)
Eligible Expenses 4
Ineligible Expenses 6
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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2 partners
Compatible Programs
Other federal Student Work Placement Program delivery partners (BioTalent Canada, ICTC WIL Digital, EHRC Empowering Futures, MiHR Gearing Up, ECO Canada)
Canada Summer Jobs and other federal wage subsidies
Combined Funding Potential
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Clawback Risk
Low Risk
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How Propel Student Work Placement Program Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Propel Student Work Placement Program
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Which employers can use the Propel wage subsidy?
Registered Canadian businesses, startups and not-for-profits related to the tourism and hospitality sector — accommodations, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation and travel services — or employers whose role relates to a tourism/hospitality job function.
How much of the student's wages are subsidised?
50% of total gross wages, up to a maximum of $5,000 per placement. Tips, gratuities and commissions are not eligible and must be removed from the gross wage figure before you invoice.
Can I hire an international student through Propel?
No. The student must be domestic — a Canadian citizen or permanent resident — registered at a recognized Canadian post-secondary institution in a program that includes a work-integrated learning component.
How short can the placement be?
At least 4 weeks and at least 20 hours a week. It can be full-time or part-time, and on-site, remote and hybrid placements are all eligible.
When does the money actually arrive?
After the placement finishes. You pay the student's wages throughout, then submit all paystubs and the completed Propel invoice form; Tourism HR Canada forwards the funds within 45 days of receiving your complete paperwork.
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Full Playbook: Propel Student Work Placement Program
8 steps · 6 docs · reviewer insights