ECO Employment Programs
Digital Skills For Youth (DS4Y)
Through this internship program, your business can increase the supply of highly qualified candidates and facilitate their transition to a rapidly changing labour market in the digital economy.
The Digital Skills for Youth program allows you to leverage the knowledge of a tech-savvy, educated youth population to future-proof your business.
Program Status: Applications Are Now Open
Applications are now being accepted and reviewed for start dates on April 1, 2024. Matching will commence on April 15, 2024.
Transition Into The Digital Workforce and Gain Valuable Experience
About the Digital Skills for Youth Program (DS4Y)
The Digital Skills for Youth Program provides training and funding for young professionals with post-secondary education to help them transition into the workforce and gain experience in the environmental Digital Skills sector. The program helps build a network of peers and mentors.
For employers, this program is designed to meet the needs of small to medium-sized companies (under 500 employees). It provides the opportunity to onboard young professionals and create meaningful environmental jobs with a focus on digital skills by removing limitations and challenges of hiring new grads.
This program has a special focus on Not-for-Profit organizations.
How Does the Digital Skills For Youth (DS4Y) Program Work?
1. Apply Online
Fill out our eligibility assessment and application.
2. Get Approved
Candidates and employers will be notified by email once they are pre-qualified to participate in the program.
3. Recruitment
Candidates and Employers are required to find their own placement, ECO Canada can offer helpful resources such as the Job Board (where hosts can post a job and candidates can submit their resume).
4. Receive Funding
Funding is secured once a match is confirmed between the employer and a pre-approved candidate and contract agreements have been signed and returned to us within 15 days of being issued.
5. Secure Funding
This program offers eligible employers 80% wage coverage up to $18,000 of a candidate’s salary for a placement in a new full-time or part-time 3 to 12 month position. Both the employer and candidate must fill out reports throughout the placement for the employer to receive the wage subsidy.
Eligible Employers Receive 80% Wage Coverage Up To $18,000 of a Candidate’s Salary for Placement in a New Full-Time/Part Time 3 to 12 Month Position
Breakdown for Youth Candidates
- This program is open to participants between the age of 15-30.
- This program is designed for digital skill development.
- Eligible candidates must be a post-secondary graduate or high school graduate (territories only).
- This program is open to individuals who hold Canadian citizenship, Canadian permanent residency status, or Canadian refugee status.
Breakdown for Employers
- Receive 80% up to $18,000 in funding towards a participant's salary.
- Job must be environmentally-related with a digital component.
- Employers must have fewer than 500 employees.
- Employers must be Canadian-owned or a Canadian subsidiary with focus given to Not-for-Profit organizations.
- Funding will cover full-time or part-time placements that are a minimum of 3 months.
About ECO Canada
As the steward for the Canadian Environmental workforce across all industries, ECO Canada offers employment programs that stimulate environmental career pathways, skill development, business growth, workforce support and workforce advancement through wage and training funding. To date, we have distributed over $176M in wage and training subsidies and helped to fill 16,775 job placements!
