Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)

Insider Tip

Choose your delivery partner strategically — Magnet is the largest general-purpose partner, but sector-specific partners (BioTalent for biotech, ICTC for digital, EMC for manufacturing) often have dedicated budgets and faster processing. Apply the moment intake opens for your target term, especially for summer placements. The net new requirement now applies only to employers with 100 or more employees, which must hire more students than their baseline year; smaller employers are exempt. ESDC publishes no percentage and no enhanced rate for under-represented groups: the rate is your delivery partner's, so compare partners before you pick one (ECO Canada advertises 50% to 70%, up to $7,000).

Rejection Pitfalls 8

• Employer is a government entity, hospital, crown corporation, or post-secondary institution
• Position is not 'net new' — employer is not increasing total student hires above baseline year
• Student is not enrolled at a Canadian post-secondary institution

Success Profile

Any registered Canadian business or not-for-profit that can demonstrate a 'net new' increase in student hires. Most common profile: SMEs in technology, manufacturing, biosciences, or professional services hiring co-op students from Canadian universities and colleges. No minimum company size or revenue requirement. Employers who have existing relationships with post-secondary co-op programs find this especially easy to access.

Evaluation Criteria

Not merit-based — funding is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis within each delivery partner's budget. Eligibility assessment checks: (1) employer is a registered Canadian business or eligible non-profit, (2) position is 'net new' above baseline year student hiring, (3) student is enrolled at a Canadian post-secondary institution, (4) placement meets minimum quality standards (learning component, supervision). No scoring, no proposal writing, no competitive ranking.

Application Steps

Required Documents 8

Eligible Expenses 3

• Student wages for the duration of the work placement
• Mandatory employer-paid payroll contributions (CPP, EI) on subsidized portion
• Wages for placements of 12-16 weeks duration at minimum

Ineligible Expenses 5

• Training costs or professional development fees
• Equipment, materials, or supplies for the student
• Employer overhead or administrative costs
• Wages already funded by another federal program (CSJ, NSERC, IRAP, Mitacs)
• Benefits beyond mandatory payroll contributions

Intake Periods

Rolling applications through delivery partners, organized by academic term. Summer term (May-August) opens early in the calendar year and has the highest demand — budgets often exhaust within weeks. Fall and winter terms generally have better availability. For example, TECHNATION's Summer 2026 registration opens March 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET.

Deadline Notes

No fixed deadline. Employers apply through one of 18 delivery partners on a rolling basis. However, funding is allocated by academic term and exhausted on a first-come-first-served basis. Summer terms (April–August) have the highest demand and often enter waitlist status within weeks of opening. Winter and fall terms generally have better availability. The $635.2M renewal (November 2025) secures the program through 2028-29.

Open Application Portal →

Ineligible Organizations

• Federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal government departments or agencies
• Hospitals and healthcare authorities (public sector)
• Crown corporations
• Post-secondary educational institutions
• Organizations already receiving federal funding for the same position (CSJ, NSERC, Mitacs, IRAP)

Compatible Programs

Clawback Risk

Low Risk