New Brunswick Hiring & Wage Subsidy Grants
New Brunswick employers get two different kinds of help: WorkingNB pays you to train the people you already have, while a set of federal programs pay you to hire someone new, a summer student, a co-op placement, or a Red Seal apprentice. This is the plain-English map of the 12 real 2026 programs behind both, and how an NB employer actually reaches them.
See the top programs →New Brunswick funds hiring and wages through two different doors, not one. WorkingNB Labour Force Training is a provincial grant that reimburses 25% to 50% of eligible training costs, up to $40,000 per employer per year, for both new and existing staff. Layered on top, federal wage subsidies pay part of a new hire's paycheque directly: Canada Summer Jobs for students, the Student Work Placement Program (plus four sector-specific delivery partners) for co-op placements, and the Apprenticeship Service Employer Grant for new Red Seal apprentices. A separate tax credit, the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit, is claimed at year end rather than applied for. Most NB employers can combine a WorkingNB training grant with one federal wage subsidy on the same hire, since the two cover different cost categories.
New Brunswick hiring funding is two doors, not one
The single most useful thing to understand about New Brunswick hiring funding is the split between training and hiring. WorkingNB, delivered by the province's Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, exists to help you develop the people already on your payroll. Federal wage subsidies exist to help you afford bringing someone new on board. The two are complementary, not competing, and most employers eventually use both.
New Brunswick's hiring landscape also splits along the province's three main economic centres. Fredericton employers lean on tech and research-adjacent placements. Moncton's bilingual services sector is the province's biggest volume user of WorkingNB training funding. Saint John's industrial employers, forestry, shipbuilding, and energy, are the most common users of apprenticeship funding. Outside the three cities, WorkingNB's regional offices deliver the same programs with the same rules, just closer to home.
If you're training people already on your payroll, WorkingNB is your lane, and it's worth a call to your regional office before you spend a dollar on training. If you're bringing someone new on board, a federal wage subsidy is the door to check first, and which one depends entirely on who you're hiring.
The top 12 New Brunswick hiring and wage-subsidy programs in 2026
These are the hiring, wage-subsidy, and workforce-training programs a New Brunswick employer is most likely to use, drawn from our full funding catalog. Amounts and status below are current as of July 2026, always confirm the current terms with the delivering agency before you build a plan around them.
| Program | What it gives | Typical amount | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| WorkingNB Labour Force Training (Government of New Brunswick) | Training-cost reimbursement | Up to $40,000/year | Training new or existing NB employees |
| Canada Summer Jobs (ESDC) | Wage subsidy | Up to 100% of minimum wage | Hiring a student (15 to 30) for the summer |
| Student Work Placement Program (ESDC) | Wage subsidy | $5,000 to $7,000 | Post-secondary co-op or WIL placement |
| Apprenticeship Service Employer Grant (ESDC / CAF-FCA) | Non-repayable grant | $5,000 to $20,000 | Hiring a new first-year Red Seal apprentice |
| Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit (CRA) | Tax credit | 10% of wages, max $2,000/year | Any employer with a Red Seal apprentice |
| Worker Retention Grant for Work-Sharing Employers (ESDC) | Weekly income top-up | 55% to ~70% replacement | Retaining staff during a slowdown |
| ICTC: WIL Digital Program (ICTC) | Wage subsidy | $5,000 to $7,000 | Tech or digital co-op placement |
| BioTalent Canada: SWPP (BioTalent Canada) | Wage subsidy | $5,000 to $7,000 | Biotech co-op placement |
| EHRC: Empowering Futures (EHRC) | Wage subsidy | $5,000 to $7,000 | Electricity-sector co-op placement |
| MiHR: Gearing Up (MiHR) | Wage subsidy | $5,000 to $7,000 | Mining-sector co-op placement |
| MiHR: Green Jobs Program (MiHR / NRCan) | Wage subsidy | $24,000 to $30,000 | Mining clean-tech youth placement, up to 12 months |
| STIP: Green Jobs (NRCan) | Wage subsidy | Up to 80% of wages, max $25,000 | Natural-resources or clean-tech youth intern |
Match your hire to the right program
The fastest way to find the right program is to name who you're actually hiring, or whether you're not hiring at all right now. Each situation below points to a different door.
Canada Summer Jobs covers up to 100% of minimum wage for non-profit and public-sector employers, up to 50% for small for-profit businesses. Currently between intake cycles; next expected November 2026.
The Student Work Placement Program, or one of its four sector-specific delivery partners, pays $5,000 standard or $7,000 for underrepresented groups.
The Apprenticeship Service Employer Grant pays $5,000 to $10,000 per apprentice (up to $20,000 for multiple hires); stack the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit on top at year end. Intake has been closed since 2024 pending a successor program.
WorkingNB Labour Force Training reimburses 25% to 50% of eligible training costs for staff you already employ, up to $40,000 per employer per year.
The Worker Retention Grant for Work-Sharing Employers tops up income replacement from 55% to roughly 70% for employers with an approved Work-Sharing agreement.
What New Brunswick hiring funding actually covers
Student wage subsidies are the most accessible category
Canada Summer Jobs pays up to 100% of minimum wage for non-profit and public-sector employers, and up to 50% for small for-profit businesses, for a 6 to 8-week summer position. It is currently between intake cycles; when it reopens, scoring happens within your federal electoral riding, so competitiveness varies across New Brunswick. If your hire is a formal post-secondary co-op term rather than a general summer job, the Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) fits better, standard rate $5,000, $7,000 for underrepresented groups.
WorkingNB Labour Force Training is built for exactly this
Up to $40,000 per employer per fiscal year (capped at $20,000 per region for multi-location employers), covering both new and existing employees. Contact your local WorkingNB regional office before submitting paperwork, a workforce consultant will pre-screen your eligibility and confirm whether your training qualifies for the more generous Level 1 reimbursement (50%) or the lower Level 2 rate (25%).
Grant vs. wage subsidy vs. tax credit: pick the right door
New Brunswick hiring funding comes in three different instruments, and they aren't interchangeable. Knowing which one you're dealing with tells you when to apply, and what to expect.
WorkingNB / Apprenticeship Service
A cost-shared or fixed payment you apply for before you spend. Approval is criteria-based, not a competitive scoring process.
Summer Jobs / SWPP + partners
Covers part of a new hire's paycheque, generally paid to you as a reimbursement after the position runs.
Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit
No application and no competition. You claim it on your corporate tax return for eligible apprentice wages already paid.
Treat the tax credit as free money you should never leave unclaimed if you have an apprentice, it requires no separate application and doesn't compete with any grant budget. Treat the grants and wage subsidies as the ones that need a plan, apply before you spend or before the position starts, not after.
Sector-specific student wage subsidies
Four delivery partners of the federal Student Work Placement Program each target a different sector. All four pay the same rate, the difference is which one has budget left when you apply, and each runs its own intake window.
Expert deep-dive: how to pick the right SWPP delivery partner
The general SWPP application works for any eligible field of study, but if your placement fits one of four sectors, its dedicated delivery partner often processes faster and has its own funding pool separate from the general intake. ICTC's WIL Digital Program covers tech, ICT, software, data, AI, and cybersecurity employers. BioTalent Canada's SWPP covers biotechnology, biosciences, and biopharma. EHRC's Empowering Futures covers electricity generation, transmission, EV integration, and energy storage. MiHR's Gearing Up covers mining and mineral exploration.
All four are net-new placements only, a role you would have created without the subsidy generally doesn't qualify. Apply at the start of each semester intake: funding is first-come, first-served and has run out mid-semester in past cycles. If your placement is specifically a clean-technology role in mining, MiHR's Green Jobs Program pays substantially more ($24,000 to $30,000 for up to 12 months) than the standard SWPP rate, and the Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP) Green Jobs offers a similar step up (up to 80% of wages, max $25,000) for natural-resources and clean-tech interns more broadly.
| Delivery partner | Sector | Standard rate | Underrepresented-group rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICTC: WIL Digital | Tech, ICT, software, data, AI, cybersecurity | $5,000 | $7,000 |
| BioTalent Canada: SWPP | Biotech, biosciences, biopharma | $5,000 | $7,000 |
| EHRC: Empowering Futures | Electricity, EV, energy storage | $5,000 | $7,000 |
| MiHR: Gearing Up | Mining and mineral exploration | $5,000 | $7,000 |
Who qualifies
Eligibility varies by program, but New Brunswick hiring funding shares a common core. You generally qualify if:
- Your business, non-profit, or First Nations organization is established in New Brunswick (for WorkingNB) or anywhere in Canada (for the federal programs).
- Your hire or trainee is legally entitled to work in Canada and, for WorkingNB, working in New Brunswick on a permanent basis.
- The position is net-new for wage-subsidy programs, a role you'd have created anyway generally doesn't qualify.
- You apply before the training starts or the placement begins. Late applications are the single most common rejection reason across these programs.
Employer size matters for some programs: Canada Summer Jobs' private-sector rate (50% of minimum wage) applies to small for-profit businesses, while non-profit and public-sector employers receive up to 100%. The Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit and Apprenticeship Service Employer Grant both require a new or existing apprentice in one of the 39 designated Red Seal trades. None of these programs require you to be doing research and development, adoption and training alone qualify.
How to apply
There is no single hiring-grant portal in New Brunswick, each program is submitted to the body that delivers it. The path that works for most employers:
- Name your hiring situation. A summer student, a co-op or WIL placement, a new Red Seal apprentice, and an existing employee you want to train each point to a different program.
- For training, call WorkingNB first. Contact your local regional office before submitting paperwork. A workforce consultant will pre-screen your eligibility and confirm your reimbursement tier.
- For a new hire, match the wage subsidy to the role. Canada Summer Jobs suits a general summer position; SWPP, or its ICTC, BioTalent, EHRC, or MiHR delivery partner, suits a formal co-op placement.
- Confirm the program is currently accepting applications. Canada Summer Jobs and the Apprenticeship Service Employer Grant are both between intake cycles as of mid-2026.
- Apply through the delivering body. Submit to WorkingNB, ESDC, or the relevant sector council directly, not a central website.
- Claim the apprenticeship tax credit at year end. If you employ a Red Seal apprentice in their first two years, claim the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit on your corporate return, no separate application required.
Common first-timer mistakes
- Applying for WorkingNB after training already started. This is the single most common rejection reason. Approval must come before the first training session.
- Applying to both Canada Summer Jobs and SWPP for the same position. Pick the one that matches the role, a general summer job or a formal co-op term, rather than applying to both.
- Missing the post-registration application window for the Apprenticeship Service Grant. The window opens once the apprentice is registered with the provincial authority, and many employers miss it simply by applying late.
- Assuming Canada Summer Jobs is open year-round. It runs on an annual cycle with a firm employer-application deadline, not continuous intake.
- Not confirming a sector partner still has budget left. ICTC, BioTalent, EHRC, and MiHR funding is first-come, first-served and has sold out mid-semester in past cycles.
- Forgetting the tax credit doesn't require an application. Employers with a Red Seal apprentice sometimes miss the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit entirely because there's no portal to apply through, only a line on the tax return.
What's changed in 2026
The Worker Retention Grant for Work-Sharing Employers launched in February 2026. Part of Canada's tariff-response package, it tops up affected workers' income replacement from 55% to roughly 70% for employers with an approved Work-Sharing agreement, backed by $102.7 million over two years, and runs through March 31, 2027.
Canada Summer Jobs expanded, then closed its 2026 employer intake. The program grew to 100,000 positions for 2026, up from 70,000 in 2025, a 43% increase, but the application window closed December 11, 2025. The next employer intake is expected around November 2026.
The Apprenticeship Service Employer Grant is being replaced. Its original intake closed March 31, 2024. A successor, Build Canada Apprenticeship Service, offering up to $10,000 per apprentice at employers with 499 or fewer staff, was announced in May 2026, though intake timing has not yet been confirmed.
Sources: Employment and Social Development Canada (Worker Retention Grant, Canada Summer Jobs); Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA).FAQ
What's the best hiring grant for a New Brunswick employer to start with?
Can I get funding to train employees I already have in New Brunswick?
Is Canada Summer Jobs currently accepting applications?
Is the Apprenticeship Service Employer Grant still open for New Brunswick employers?
Can I stack WorkingNB training funding with a federal wage subsidy on the same hire?
Are there hiring grants specific to tech, biotech, electricity, or mining employers in New Brunswick?
What if I'm dealing with a slowdown instead of hiring?
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