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Are you interested in hiring a post-graduate for an internship for a period of four to 12 months? The Wood Manufacturing Council's (WMC) Career Focus Program (wage subsidy) can help! Career Focus will provide you with financial assistance, $1 for every $2 in wages up to a maximum of $12 000 per intern. The aim of the program is to attract skilled youth to our industry.
If you are interested, apply for the funding before officially hiring the person who must be a new graduate from a post-secondary program. They can be from a wood processing program, but the program recognizes that there are other skills that are required for your business, such as technology, marketing, sales, or management, so graduates from other disciplines are eligible, if they enhance your business. Learn more.

Applying is easy...

The WMC pre-approves all applications before a company can hire the intern. The pre-approval process is very simple:

Complete all the necessary forms attached (employer and intern forms);
Attach intern's resumé, along with a job-description and your company biography;
Return these to WMC either by fax, e-mail or by mail to the attention of Melissa Lemay;
WMC will process the application and a reply will be sent to you in less than 5 working business days.

With regards to the interns:

Have a nepotism policy in place in regards to the interns;
Inform potential interns of what participation in the program would entail, and retain agreement from interns;
Use non-subjective eligibility criteria to establish eligibility of interns based on the criteria listed under ''Interns'' below;
Provide placement opportunities for full-time work (i.e. at least 30 hours per week) for a minimum of four months);
Provide proof of employment, start date, contract with intern, full wage and benefits of intern to the Wood Manufacturing Council; and provide data to WMC as required.

Employers' Responsibilities
Employers are responsible for:

providing proof of wages paid, all pertinent information on the intern, monthly claim forms and all necessary documentation to support the claim, and reports required by the Wood Manufacturing Council;
ensuring the intern(s) is aware and agrees to be part of a participant placement program, which includes the submission of information to WMC;
providing a safe working environment for the intern;
providing a placement of minimum 4 months in length;
providing $2 in wages for each $1 of wage subsidy received.
Develop learning plans for each participant/intern demonstrating the types of knowledge, competencies or skills that the participant will acquire.

Interns
To be eligible for a placement, candidates:

Requirement	Explanation
Cannot receive employment insurance (EI) benefits during the internship	It is recommended that any potential intern currently receiving EI discuss the implications of accepting a placement with an EI counsellor at a local Human Resources Centre Canada.
Must be between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive) at the time of intake or selection	An intern who is 30 at the time of intake but who turns 31 anytime after is still eligible.
Must be post-secondary graduates	Graduates of degree or diploma programs from universities, colleges, post-secondary schools of technology, post-secondary institutes and CEGEPs.
Must be out of school	Interns must be completely finished their degree or diploma program, and cannot be registered in school, in a co-op program.
Must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada, and	Persons awaiting permanent resident status, as well as those who hold a temporary visitor visa or student visa, are ineligible to participate.
Must be legally entitled to work in Canada.	Interns must also be legal to work in the province/territory of the placement. Age laws differ, and it is the responsibility of the employer and recipient sponsor to ensure eligibility.

Interns' Responsibilities:

following all application and eligibility requirements;
providing any necessary documentation (i.e. transcripts) required by the employer, WMC or HRSDC;
completing an assessment at the beginning and end of the placement period;
signing a waiver which acknowledges their participation in the program, and agrees to the sharing of information between the employer, Wood Manufacturing Council and HRSDC.

The latest round of the program ends March 31, 2012, and is designed to benefit both employers and new graduates. It provides employers with financial assistance and graduates with a direct entry path to their first job in the advanced wood manufacturing industry.

For further information, please contact Melissa Lemay at the Wood Manufacturing Council, at 613-567-5511, or by email at wmc@wmc-cfb.ca

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