First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program

About the program

The First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program supports activities that assist youth in acquiring the essential skills that will help them gain employment, function well in the workplace, and learn about job and career options.

Activities may include career promotion, science and technology activities, co-operative education placements and internships and mentored work placements.

The program:

• promotes the benefits and importance of education to youth participation in the labour market
• supports the development and improvement of essential employability skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and working with others
• introduces youth to a variety of career options
• helps youth gain skills by providing wage subsidies for mentored work experience and/or for mentored school-based work and study opportunities

Funding is provided to eligible First Nations and Inuit communities, governments and organizations, as well as not-for-profit associations, schools and employers who then provide activities for First Nation and Inuit youth.

Who can apply?

• First Nations and Inuit governments and organizations
• First Nation schools or federal schools on-reserve
• not-for-profit organizations
• private sector employers

Organizations receiving funding through this program may also enter into agreements with private sector and not-for-profit organizations to support these activities.

Not-for-profit organizations and private sector employers may be eligible for direct funding for activities that provide opportunities for eligible First Nations and Inuit youth and fall within program guidelines. Not-for-profit organizations may be eligible to receive funding to cover up to 100% of eligible expenditures. Private sector employers may be eligible to receive funding to cover funding up to 50% of eligible expenditures.

Eligible youth participants

• First Nations and Inuit youth aged 15 to 30 who are either:
  • ordinarily resident on reserve or in a recognized community (an approved settlement on Crown land)
  • Inuit who are residents in Canada, but who reside outside their territory, and are no longer eligible to be funded by their territory (proof of refusal is required)

Mentored work placements, including information and communication technology placements, are for youth who are not in school, or are unemployed or underemployed.

Ordinarily resident-on-reserve means that eligible youth live on-reserve, do not maintain a primary residence off-reserve, and may be temporarily off-reserve for the primary purpose of seeking education.

Co-operative education placements are for students in grades 7 to 12 (secondary 1 to secondary 5), enrolled in and attending a federal or band-operated school. For activities promoting careers and science and technology, youth may be younger than 15 years of age.

Deadline

The deadline to submit a proposal was extended from March 15, 2017 to April 13, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

How to apply?

Applicants must submit detailed proposals for the activities to be undertaken over the course of the agreement.

Proposals must:

• fall within the program guidelines
• be gender-balanced
• outline the activities that support any or all of the program objectives
• demonstrate that activities will provide assistance only to eligible participants
• provide an estimate of eligible costs to be incurred, including those assumed by partners
• outline the results to be achieved by the project

Proposals are reviewed and approved by the INAC regional office or the First Nations or Inuit organization managing the program for their member communities.

Consult:  First Nation and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy: Skills Link Program: National Program Guidelines 2017-2018.

National science camps

The Skills Link Program also supports National Science Camps. Held annually, these camps offer a great opportunity to bring together First Nations and Inuit youth from across Canada. The week of activities is designed to promote interest in science and technology and encourage youth to consider a career in these fields.

The National Science Camps have been held in various regions across Canada.

Photographs from previous National Science Camps can be viewed here:

• Photo Gallery

To find out about the next National Science Camp and how students are selected contact your INAC regional office.

Results

• First Nations teens dig into job training, make exciting discovery (July 31, 2015)
• First Nations and Inuit youth on campus for National science camp (August 7, 2015)

Related links

• First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy – Skills Link Program - National Program Guidelines 2016-2017