Main objective
The objective of this project is to provide youth with work experience (via internships and training) in natural resource sectors related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.
Timeline:
May 2019 to March 2021
Industry Need:
In 2013, as part of its national labour market study, BioTalent Canada surveyed 232 companies across Canada in the biotechnology industry including bio-economy companies that focus on the environment and green initiatives and published its findings in the 2013 LMI Report: “Sequencing the Data.” Over 50% of those companies identified skills shortages in current staff, 19% of those companies reported they had immediate openings that could not be filled and 40% of those companies stated that this was having a major impact on their business. Furthermore, BioTalent Canada’s member organization, Life Sciences Ontario, 2019 Annual Report stated that the unemployment rate of Ontario Science graduates between 20-24 years of age with a minimum university degree was a staggering 17.9%, demonstrating the need to assist new grads in the transition into their new career.
Program description:
To mitigate this problem, Green Jobs Science and Technology Internship Program minimizes risk to small and medium sized biotechnology companies hiring Canadian youth into STEM jobs by covering the cost of a new hires’ salary by 50% to a maximum of $15,000/year. The overall objective of this project is to place 58 youth within natural resource-based STEM jobs linked to the green economy, increasing the number of qualified employees available to bio-economy employers. It will also facilitate the transition of youth into the labour market and increase their knowledge of the sector’s needs through recent and practical work experience. Furthermore, it will play a role in creating jobs that benefit the environment.
Application page