Youth in Natural Resources
Matching Youth and Natural Resource Sector Employers
ECO Canada, in partnership with Natural Resources Canada, provides wage funding for employers looking to onboard young professionals for full-time work placements and job training.
This program offers eligible employers salary coverage to create jobs within the natural resources sectors to protect the environment and have a positive environmental outcome. Natural resource sectors include: the Energy Sector, Forest Sector, Mining, Minerals & Metals Sector, and Earth Sciences & Support Sector.
Program Status: Applications Are Open
Funding Will Cover Up To 12 Months of Full-Time Work
About the Youth in Natural Resources Program
The Youth in Natural Resources program is designed to train and support participants aged 15 to 30 who are looking to transition into or gain experience in the natural resources field.
This program not only helps participants build a network of peers and mentors but also provides employers with a chance to onboard young professionals. By doing so, it creates meaningful job opportunities in environmental sectors such as Energy, Forestry, Mining, Minerals & Metals, and Earth Sciences, while addressing the challenges often associated with hiring new professionals.
How Does the Youth in Natural Resources Program Work?
1. Apply Online
Fill out our eligibility assessment and application.
2. Get Approved
Candidates and employers will be informed 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. Secure 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. Receive Funding
This program offers eligible employers 75%, with coverage up to $20,000 or $30,000 for placements in Northern, Rural, or Remote areas.
Equity-deserving groups include persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and those living in remote areas, including Canada’s territories. Both the employer and the candidate must complete reports throughout the placement for the employer to receive the wage subsidy.
We'll help cover 75%, with coverage up to $20,000 or $30,000 for placements in Northern, Rural, or Remote areas.
Breakdown for Participants
- This program is open to participants who are aged 15-30.
- Funding is focused around the Natural Resources field.
- This program is open to candidate’s who hold Canadian citizenship, Canadian permanent residency status, or Canadian refugee status.
- Designed for Indigenous participants and youth with disabilities, ensuring they receive additional support.
- Prioritizes women and racialized youth (visible minorities) to enhance access to opportunities in natural resource roles.
Breakdown for Host Employers
- Receive 75%, with coverage up to $20,000 or $30,000 for placements in Northern, Rural, or Remote areas
- The program is open to businesses of all sizes.
- Employers must be Canadian-owned or a Canadian subsidiary, municipal government, provincial or territorial governments department, or Indigenous organizations.
- Funding will cover full-time placements for work terms up to 12 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!
