Employer supports

Our employer support programs help drive results by bring in specialized skills and support needed to grow your business. Our various Work Integrated Learning (WIL) initiatives provide financial support to bio-economy employers to strengthen their workforce. Keep an eye on this page for the most up-to-date opportunities, or sign up for our mailing list.

Have questions? 

Please contact us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help. 

*The application review process for our programs can take up to 40 business days.

Active Programs

BioReady Ontario’s Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)

BioReady Ontario’s Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Placements help employers hire and train new talent through paid 8-16 week placements while strengthening workforce capability and supporting long-term growth.

Participating employers may receive funding to support eligible hires while providing meaningful workplace experience to individuals entering or transitioning into Ontario’s biomanufacturing sector.

Participants receive access to BioReady Ontario’s AI and digital skills training at no cost, helping employers build workforce readiness and future-focused capability.

Career Starter Program

Offering up to $20,000, The Career Starter Program strengthens business operations with positions for barriered youth, increase their knowledge of the sector’s needs through recent and practical work experience.

Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)

Offering up to $5,000 in paid internships, SWPP helps support innovation, growth and business operations for bio-economy and healthcare employers with talented students in work-integrated learning placements while registered in STEM, healthcare, business programs and all other programs at Canadian post-secondary institutions.

Completed Programs

BioReady™ Paid Internship Program

Offers up to $11,500 in wage subsidies to bio-economy employers who hire, accommodate and train Internationally Educated Professionals to help them better integrate into the bio-economy.

Career Focus Green Jobs

Offers up to $13,500 in wage subsidies over six months to employers to hire a recent graduate from any discipline into a “green job”.

Digital Skills for Youth

Grow your team and advance digital innovations with up to $24,000 in paid internship and training support. Please note that the Digital Skills for Youth program has reached capacity. Learn more about our employer supports. Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions. Explore this page Program description | Digital Skills for Youth program’s impact | Eligibility…

Opportunities Fund Wage Subsidy Program

The Opportunities Fund wage subsidy program provides up to a maximum of $13,500 towards a salary as an incentive for bio-economy employers to hire, accommodate and train an employee with disabilities.

Science Horizons

Offers up to $15,000 in wage subsidies over six months to bio-economy employers to hire a recent science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) graduate into a STEM position with an environmental focus.

Skilled Newcomer Internships for the Bio-economy

$20,000 wage subsidy to make the bio-economy more diverse and inclusive Applications for Skilled Newcomer Internships for the Bio-economy are no longer being accepted. Please visit biotalent.ca/programs for information about other open programs for which you may be eligible. And for any other inquiries please contact [email protected]. Canada’s bio-economy must become more diverse if the industry is…

Student Work Placement Program

Offering up to $5,000 in paid internships, SWPP helps support innovation, growth and business operations for bio-economy and healthcare employers with talented students in work-integrated learning placements while registered in STEM, healthcare, business programs and all other programs at Canadian post-secondary institutions.