Employment Programs

Self Employment

Self-Employment assists unemployed eligible individuals create jobs for themselves by starting a business.

Am I eligible for participation in Self-Employment (SE)?

To be eligible for participation in Self-Employment (SE), you must be an unemployed individual ("insured participant") as defined by Section 58 of the Employment Insurance Act. This means that you are an individual for whom:

a) an unemployment benefit period has been established or has ended within the 36 months (3 years) prior to the date of requesting assistance; orb) a benefit period that included a maternity or parental claim has been established within the 60 months (5 years) prior to the date of requesting assistance, after which you remained out of the labour market in order to care for a newborn or newly adopted child and are now seeking to re-enter the labour force.

Other criteria may apply.

What else do I need to know?

The date your completed application is received is the date when you are considered to have requested assistance. This date is used to determine whether you qualify as an "insured participant" within the timeframes outlined above.
If you are currently receiving Employment Insurance, you may continue to receive your regular Employment Insurance benefits until the end of your benefit period, after which you may be eligible to receive a living allowance to the end of your Self-Employment (SE) agreement.
If you are not in receipt of Employment Insurance benefits, you may be eligible to receive financial assistance for living expenses.
Temporary financial assistance may be provided in exceptional circumstances to cover all or part of the following costs related to participation (e.g., dependant care, disability needs, tuition costs, transportation and accommodation).
The maximum duration of an agreement with a participant is 52 weeks.

How do I apply?

Visit the Merritt Employment Services office and make an appointment to see an employment counsellor.
As part of the application process, it is necessary for you to receive an employment assessment and develop a Return to Work Action Plan with an employment counsellor. The counsellor’s decision is required before the Self Employment Co-ordinator can assess your application.

Targeted Wage Subsidies

Targeted Wage Subsidies (TWS) is an employment program of Service Canada that provides funding to employers to encourage them to hire individuals whom they would not normally hire in the absence of a subsidy.

Program objective

Targeted Wage Subsidies (TWS) assist unemployed eligible individuals enhance their skills and improve their employability. Targeted Wage Subsidies (TWS) provide employers with financial assistance towards wages of eligible individuals whom they hire.

Am I eligible for participation in Targeted Wage Subsidies (TWS)?

To be eligible for participation in Targeted Wage Subsidies (TWS), you must be an unemployed individual ("insured participant") as defined by Section 58 of the Employment Insurance Act. This means that you are an individual for whom:

a) an unemployment benefit period has been established or has ended within the 36 months (3 years) prior to the date of requesting assistance; or
b) a benefit period that included a maternity or parental claim has been established within the 60 months (5 years) prior to the date of requesting assistance, after which you remained out of the labour market in order to care for a newborn or newly adopted child and are now seeking to re-enter the labour force.

Other criteria may apply.

What else do I need to know?

The date your completed application is received is the date when you are considered to have requested assistance. This date is used to determine whether you qualify as an "insured participant" within the timeframes outlined above.
Financial assistance in the form of a subsidy is provided to employers to cover the costs of wages paid to the participant. Financial assistance may also be provided to cover all or a portion of the costs related to the special needs of persons with disabilities.
Temporary financial assistance may be provided in exceptional circumstances to cover all or part of the following costs related to participation (e.g., dependant care, disability needs and transportation).
Your application must be approved by a Co-ordinator before you begin activities with the employer.
The maximum duration of an agreement with an employer or a participant is 78 consecutive weeks.

How do I apply?

Visit the Merritt Employment Services office and make an appointment to see an employment counsellor.
As part of the application process, it is necessary for you to receive an employment assessment and develop a Return to Work Action Plan with a counsellor. The counsellor’s decision is required before a Co-ordinator can assess your application.

Youth Employment Strategy - Summer Work Experience

Supporting Students, Serving Communities

Under the Youth Employment Strategy, the Summer Work Experience program creates summer employment opportunities for secondary and post-secondary students, and supports the operation of Service Canada Centres for Youth where they may also find a job. These jobs provide students with the opportunity to acquire skills, gain valuable work experience and help finance their return to school.

Summer Work Experience includes:

Canada Summer Jobs, an initiative that provides funding for not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for students between the ages of 15 and 30; and

Service Canada Centres for Youth (SCCY), which help youth and employers with their summer employment needs, are located across Canada and open to the public from May to August. Free of charge, these offices:

help students find summer jobs
offer group information and one-on-one sessions on résumé writing
preparing for interviews and
looking for a job
offer services to find motivated employees for the summer months
offer up-to-date information on
wage rates
labour laws
health and safety in the workplace
other federal, provincial and territorial youth employment programs

Contact information

Youth Info Line: 1-800-935-555

Job Creation Partnerships

Job Creation Partnerships (JCP) is an employment program that supports projects that provide eligible individuals with work experience leading to on-going employment.

Program Objective

The Job Creation Partnerships (JCP) employment benefit is designed to support projects, creating jobs that will provide unemployed, insured participants with opportunities to gain meaningful work experience. Project activities should benefit both the participant and the community. However, the primary focus must be on helping the participant.

Am I eligible for participation in Job Creation Partnerships (JCP)?

a) To be eligible for participation in Job Creation Partnerships (JCP), you must be an unemployed individual ("insured participant") as defined by Section 58 of the Employment Insurance Act. This means that you are an individual for whom: a) an unemployment benefit period has been established or has ended within the 36 months (3 years) prior to the date of requesting assistance; or
b) a benefit period that included a maternity or parental claim has been established within the 60 months (5 years) prior to the date of requesting assistance, after which you remained out of the labour market in order to care for a newborn or newly adopted child and are now seeking to re-enter the labour force.
c) Other criteria may apply.

Just for People with Disabilities:

Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities

The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities provides funding that assists people with disabilities in preparing for and finding employment or self-employment, as well as acquiring the skills necessary to maintain that new employment.

Visit the Merritt Employment Services office and ask to speak to an employment counsellor or call (250) 378-5151