Student Summer Skills Incentive

💡What Is This Program?

🎁What Benefits Are Offered?

Wage assistance (subsidy) for non-profit organizations, charities, and social enterprises to hire post-secondary students for summer jobs. The subsidy is $10.50 per hour, increasing to $11.50 per hour for students from designated diversity groups or for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) students. The maximum reimbursement is up to 525 hours per student, with a higher rate ($12.50/hour) for WIL students who are also members of a diversity group. The total funding per student can range from $2520 (240 hours at $10.50) to $6562.50 (525 hours at $12.50).

📋What Are the Application Steps & Timeline?

📝Steps to ApplySource

• Develop a position for a summer student.
• Apply online (request LaMPSS access if necessary).
• If approved, hire your student(s).
• Send your agreement manager a completed Student Information Form.
• If it’s a SKILL-WIL position, provide proof the student’s work term counts in their program.
• Your Agreement Manager will send you a link to sign your funding agreement in LaMPSS.
• At the end of the work term, download and complete the Pay Declaration.
• Log in to LaMPSS and upload your Pay Declaration (and ROE if required).
• Complete the employer survey, and have the student complete the employee survey.

🌐Application PortalSource

https://novascotia.ca/programs/student-summer-skills-incentive/

📤Submission MethodSource

online

📅Key DatesSource

December 15Application period opens

January 31Application period closes

MarchDecisions communicated

🔄Intake TypeSource

fixed-deadline

📄What Documents Are Required?

✅Required DocumentsSource

• Societies Act number or Canadian Charity Registration number
• Contact person at your organization
• List of signing authorities
• Job description for each new position
• Breakdown of the time employees will spend on different tasks
• Completed Student Information Form

📎Optional DocumentsSource

• Copy of the student’s transcript
• Letter that shows the student is enrolled in a Co-op work-term

📐Format Requirements

PDF only, max 10MB

📥Templates AvailableSource

• Student Information Form

✉️Supporting LettersSource

Written confirmation from a representative of the student’s educational institution

💰What Expenses Are Eligible?

🧾Eligible ExpensesSource

• wage subsidy for student employees
• diversity bonus for eligible students

🚫Ineligible ExpensesSource

• other wage-subsidy funding for the same position
• positions that are mostly manual labour

📏Expense CapsSource

maximum of 525 hours subsidized per student

💳Payment ModelSource

reimbursement

⏪Retroactive Expenses EligibleSource

No

🤝Is Matching Funding Required?

🔀Matching RequiredSource

Yes

📊Matching RatioSource

25% minimum

🏦Eligible Matching SourcesSource

• cash
• in-kind

📚Stacking RulesSource

You may not receive funding from any other government employment program for the position(s)

🛡️Proof of Matching RequiredSource

Proof of wages you have paid to the student

📊What Are the Reporting Requirements?

🗓️Reporting FrequencySource

final only

📑Reporting RequirementsSource

• Pay Declaration
• Student Information Form

🔍Audit RequirementsSource

Amounts reported on the pay declaration or ROE may be subject to audit by the program.

📢Branding RequirementsSource

Acknowledgment of funding is required through surveys and feedback collection.

🗄️Record Retention PeriodSource

7 years