Building Canada’s Green Workforce, One Job at a Time
Wage funding and real-world experience for employers and emerging environmental talent.
ECO Employment Programs
For over 20 years, ECO Canada has connected environmental employers with skilled junior talent through funded wage and training programs.
With support from our federal partners, we provide wage subsidies that help you grow your team, reduce hiring costs, and strengthen your role in Canada’s green economy.
Our dedicated Employment Programs platform makes it simple to explore funding options, access resources, and apply online.
- Increase work capacity
- Access talented youth with new ideas & skills
- Increase employee retention
- Reduce staff training costs
- Strengthen overall business operations
- Support the growth of new qualified environmental workers
- Program provides initial work experience in participants field of study
- Many secure permanent positions within the organization post program
- Networking opportunities for lasting connections
- Funding enables unique opportunities: conferences, external training
- Participants gain invaluable learning experience
- Acquire practical, real-world experience by applying learned skills and developing new ones
- Overcoming financial challenges for participants and employers
- Enhancing job prospects and positioning for future success
Explore Our Employment Programs
Stay up to date with upcoming environmental conferences, webinars, and networking opportunities from across the sector.
Science Horizon Youth Internship
- This program offers an 80% wage reimbursement, covering up to $25,000 for placements lasting between 4 to 12 months.
- Supports careers in climate change, environmental protection, and sustainability.
Student Work Placement
(Co-Op)
- This program offers wage reimbursement between 50% and 70%, with funding available up to $5,000 or $7,000 for eligible participants.
- Supports emerging professionals in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) and business roles.
Digital Skills for Youth
- This program offers an 80% wage reimbursement, covering up to $20,000, or $25,000 for not-for-profit organizations.
- Helps young professionals gain experience in environmental jobs that require digital skills, such as programming, data analysis, and website development.
Youth in Natural Resources
- This program offers a wage reimbursement of 75%, with coverage up to $20,000 or $30,000 for placements in Northern, Rural, or Remote areas.
- Offers eligible employers salary coverage to create jobs within the natural resources sectors to protect the environment and have a positive environmental outcome.
Newcomer Careers in Residential Construction
This program offers 75% wage coverage, up to $22,500, plus pre- and post-placement supports for training and accessibility.
Connects newcomers to Canada with employers in green residential construction, helping them gain Canadian work experience and build long-term careers.
Green Horizons for Barriered Youth
This program offers 50% wage reimbursement, up to $9,000, plus $1,000 for transportation, childcare, and accessibility.
Supports Calgary-based youth (ages 15–30) from barriered communities (such as Indigenous, newcomer, racialized, or youth with disabilities) by connecting them with career-building work experiences.
Growing your teams
We are invested in the future of the Canadian environmental workforce
Therefore, we are invested in every aspect of this program’s success.
From making the initial connection between employers and talent, to conducting in-person visits, and supporting with customized skills training, we are focused on ensuring ECO Employment Programs support the growth of our country’s environmental workforce.
The value of these programs is founded in our commitment to championing the end-to-end careers of Canadian environmental workers. The benefits reach educators, students, new practitioners, environmental professionals, and employers across the country.
Explore Each Employment Program and Apply Online
Learn more about each of the available wage and training funding streams, and your eligibility and get started with your application.
Real Stories, Real Impact
Hear directly from youth and employers who have benefited from our Employment Programs. These success stories highlight the skills gained, careers launched, and businesses strengthened through our funding support.
How it Works
Start by taking an eligibility quiz.
After the quiz, complete your application to get approved for one or more programs.
Confirm your selected candidate.
Once confirmed, secure your position by signing your funding agreement.
Find a qualified candidate.
Have the candidate submit a participant application for review.
Attend an onboarding session.
Complete your progress reports, and provide pay statement to receive your wage funding.
As an approved Host Employer, you are committed to the success of the placement, the candidate and the overall growth of qualified environmental workers in Canada. We look forward to working with your team to meet these objectives!
Program Insights
Dive deeper into program results, statistics, and impact reports that show how ECO Canada is shaping Canada’s green workforce.
Experience
Hear real stories from employers and participants whose careers and organizations grew through ECO-funded programs.
New at ECO Canada
Funding Partners
