Industry Canada's Small Business Internship Program is a collaborative effort with Canadian small businesses, post-secondary institutions, and non-government organizations.
The Small Business Internship Program provides small and medium-sized businesses financial support to hire a post secondary student intern to assist them in their adoption of information and communications technologies to increase their productivity and competitiveness.
The program offers promising post-secondary students hands-on experience working on e-commerce projects under the mentorship and coaching of entrepreneurs. Student interns will gain an appreciation of entrepreneurship, and an opportunity to explore career possibilities.
How does the Small Business Internship Program work?
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) from Renfrew County submit an application to the Renfrew County Community Futures Development Corporation. If their application is approved, they can hire a student intern to help them take advantage of information and communications technologies (ICT) to help grow their business. SMEs will have the flexibility to hire the interns that possess the skills and abilities for their specific project or needs. We encourage them to hire from employment equity groups.
The SME negotiates the salary of the intern, and the benefits they may receive. Once the 12-week internship is over, the Government of Canada will reimburse 75 percent of their eligible costs, up to a maximum of $10,000. The SME gets the information and communications technologies help they need to grow their business, and the student gets valuable on-the-job experience.
What are the eligible costs?
Eligible costs that can be claimed by participating SMEs are the student interns’ wages and related expenses such as statutory employee benefits.
How does the Small Business Internship Program address the ICT needs of SMEs?
A significant number of SMEs are currently simply connected to the Internet or are passively on-line, and might not be taking advantage of the possibilities offered by e-business. The Small Business Internship Program seeks to improve the competitiveness of SMEs by supporting businesses to actively market on-line and improve their competitiveness with e-business practices and technologies.
Businesses
What are the eligibility criteria?
To be eligible for this program, your firm must:
- be a small or medium-sized enterprise with less than 500 employees;
- wish to enhance your e-business capability.
What are the benefits of this program?
Your firm will receive financial support towards the employment of post-secondary students who will work on information and communication technologies (ICT) projects. The Government of Canada will reimburse 75 percent of the eligible wages and related expenses such as statutory employee benefits, up to a maximum of $10,000. Your firm is responsible for covering other expenses such as fringe benefits and overhead costs.
What is the process?
Your firm will develop and submit a project proposal to the Renfrew County Community Futures Development Corporation (RCCFDC). Support will be available for twelve weeks.
How can employers participate in the SBIP?
SMEs that are planning an ICT project, and would like to have a student intern help them make it a reality can submit an application form by mail or fax for project approval to RCCFDC. The delivery organization will assess the projects against the following criteria:
- Will the internship meet SBIP's objectives?
- Will it give a student intern meaningful work experience?
- Will it give the student intern 12 weeks of work?
- Will the employer provide a minimum of 25 percent of intern wages and related eligible costs?
- Will the internship run between May 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010?
All employers will be notified as soon as possible whether their project was approved or unsuccessful. The SME is then responsible for hiring and advertising their student intern position at universities and colleges, on job boards or other job advertisements as the SME sees appropriate.
Students
How can students become SBIP interns?
Students interested in being a part of the SBIP must meet the following criteria:
- be under the age of 30;
- be enrolled in a post secondary education program (or have recently graduated from such a program) AND intending to return to school;
- be pursuing education in an information and communications technology-related field where information technology (IT) knowledge and skills are important, e.g. business, e-commerce studies, computer science;
- be legally entitled to work in Canada (this includes permanent residents of Canada but does not include those awaiting permanent status, or persons with temporary work visas, such as students who have graduated and have temporary work visas); and
- be willing to compete for the positions.
How to apply?
Hiring for the SBIP will be done by the SMEs who are involved in the program. Post-secondary students should check job boards at their local universities and colleges as well as any places where job advertisements may be placed by businesses looking for student interns.
Interested post-secondary students who meet the criteria can send their résumé along with a covering letter to the participating small and medium-sized businesses.
What are the student interns’ obligations?
SBIP student interns are expected to:
- demonstrate motivation, shared responsibility and commitment to achieving project goals;
- submit a short project report to the employer by the completion of the project;
- provide their consent to participate in the evaluation/assessment of the project;
- complete and submit the Participant Information Form (PIF); and
- not be in receipt of Employment Insurance at the commencement of Internship.
How many students will get placements?
The SBIP will award fifteen (15) student placements across Renfrew County. Each placement will last 12 weeks.
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