Co-operative Education Incentive

The Co-op Education Incentive (CO-OP) provides wage assistance to organizations that offer career-related work experiences for university and college co-operative students.

Apply between 15 August and 15 September 2022 for the Winter 2023 co-op term.
Apply between 15 December 2022 and 16 January 2023 for the Summer 2023 co-op term.
Apply between 15 April and 15 May 2023 for the Fall 2023 co-op term.

The Co-op Education Incentive helps employers hire post-secondary co-operative education students for work placements.

Employers can hire a co-op student for a work term of 12-16 weeks. You’ll receive a subsidy of $7.50 an hour ($9.00 if the student is a member of designated diversity group) for the wages you pay the student. Students must work at least 390 hours during their work term. The program will reimburse up to 640 hours of work. 32-week terms are available in some education programs – please confirm with the Co-op Coordinator at the post-secondary institution.

Program policies and step-by-step instructions for submitting applications are outlined in the Co-op Program guidelines (PDF). You can also consult the Co-op Coordinators List (PDF) to select the University or College that can provide you with a Co-op student that best meets your job requirements.

Co-op terms are available 3 times a year:

  • summer term: 1 April to 31 August
  • fall term: 1 September to 31 December
  • winter term: 1 January to 30 April

Co-operative Education Incentive is a youth employment program.

Eligibility

Organizations can apply for the subsidy if they:

  • are private-sector, government-funded, non-profit or charitable organization, social enterprise or a municipality
  • want to hire a co-operative education student for a work term of 12 to 16 weeks
  • will pay the student at least $15 per hour (plus vacation pay) for full-time work that meets the requirements of the student’s co-op program

The student you hire must be enrolled in a work term as part of a co-operative education program at a Nova Scotia university or college.

How to apply

If your business is registered in the online Labour Market Programs Support System (LaMPSS), you can apply now.

Start now

If you don’t have a LaMPSS account, you can register by completing the External Access Form (PDF) and emailing it to lampss@novascotia.ca.

Before you start

When you apply, you need to:

  • provide your organization’s Registry of Joint Stocks number, Canada Revenue Agency charities number, or a copy of legal documentation or legislative act  that identifies how assets will be distributed upon dissolution of the organization
  • describe your organization and the role you want to fill

If you want to hire co-op students in more than one county, you’ll need to submit a separate application for each county.

If your application is approved, you’ll need to:

  • return a signed contract
  • provide information about the student you hire, including proof that they’re currently enrolled in a Co-operative Education program at a Nova Scotia university or college and have your student sign a waiver to let us use their information

At the end of the program, you’ll need to:

  • provide proof of the wages you paid the student (use the Payroll Declaration Form and send a copy of the student’s Record of Employment)
  • complete a feedback survey
  • have your student complete a feedback survey

Contact

Labour, Skills and Immigration
PO Box 697
Halifax, NS B3J 2T8

Phone: 902-424-6000
Toll-free: 1-800-424-5418
Fax: 902-428-2037

Downloads

Required Forms for Approved Work Terms

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