Youth Employment and Skills Program: Step 3. Before you apply

Review and consider the following information before you apply.

How we assess your application

The Youth Employment and Skills Program has a 2-stage approval process:

Stage 1: Submit your application to determine the eligibility of:

1. The organization (employer)
2. The project

Stage 2: If conditional approval is received following stage 1, the application will proceed for further processing:

1. We'll notify you of your conditional approval and invite you to complete and submit a Participant Information Form, to determine the eligibility of the employee
2. If applicable, you can apply for additional funding for relocation and/or barrier related costs at this stage

Sources of funding

You must clearly identify all sources of funding for the project, including your contribution and other industry and/or sources of funding including:

• other federal government departments^{Endnote 1}
• provincial/territorial governments^{Endnote 1}
• municipal government^{Endnote 1}
• Industry and/or partners such as:
  • industry associations and networks
  • businesses
  • academia

Your portion of the cost-share must be cash contributions. In-kind contributions are ineligible.^{Endnote 1}

Priority of applications

Applications from indigenous applicants will be prioritized for the 2024–2025 program year, followed by all other first applications. Approval of secondary applications will be dependent on available funding and program uptake.

Considerations

M-30 Act (Quebec organizations only)

The Province of Quebec's M-30 legislation may apply to Quebec-based applicants only. It is the Act Respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif (R.S.Q., c. M-30).

More information on the act is available online or by contacting the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation at dpci@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca.

All Quebec-based organizations will have to address this matter and demonstrate their compliance with the act during the application assessment process, and prior to entering into a contribution agreement.

Language of service

Applicants and recipients are encouraged to communicate with AAFC in the official language of their choice. AAFC reviews and assesses applications and project deliverables in both official languages.

Language obligations of recipients

All public information documents related to the Project prepared by or paid in whole or in part by the Minister must be made available in both official languages, when the Minister determines that this is required under the Official Languages Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. 31 [4th Supp.]).

Confidentiality

It is the Applicant's responsibility to clearly identify, on any documentation submitted to AAFC, the information that is considered commercially confidential. This information will not be disclosed unless required by law, including the Access to Information Act, or upon the express authorization of the Applicant.

Environmental considerations

The purposes of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) include ensuring that projects to be carried out on federal lands or outside Canada are considered in a careful and precautionary manner in order to avoid adverse environmental effects. Before AAFC provides financial assistance for the purpose of enabling a project on federal lands to proceed, it must determine whether the carrying out of the project, in whole or in part, is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help you answer the questions in the Project Application Form, examples and more information follow.

1. Is the proposal a "project" as defined by the IAA?

   Examples of projects include:

   • construction of a greenhouse
   • installation of a permanent irrigation system
   • building construction or demolition
   • any other activity related to a permanent human-made work

   Activities that are not considered projects include:

   • administrative or marketing activities
   • workshops
   • training or hiring staff
   • installation of temporary or portable systems
   • any other activity not related to a physical work
2. Where does the project take place?

   AAFC has certain obligations under the IAA, if providing financial assistance to projects on federal land. Under the IAA, "federal lands" means:

   1. lands that belong to [His] Majesty in right of Canada, or that [His] Majesty in right of Canada has the power to dispose of, and all waters on and airspace above those lands, other than lands under the administration and control of the Commissioner of Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut;
   2. the following lands and area:
      1. the internal waters of Canada, in any area of the sea not within a province,
      2. the territorial sea of Canada, in any area of the sea not within a province,
      3. the exclusive economic zone of Canada, and
      4. the continental shelf of Canada; and
   3. reserves, surrendered lands and any other lands that are set apart for the use and benefit of a band and that are subject to the Indian Act, and all waters on and airspace above those reserves or lands.

If you answer "Yes" or "Unsure" to Question A and "Federal lands or lands outside Canada" or "Reserves, surrendered land or other land set apart for the use and benefit of a band and that are subject to the Indian Act" to Question B, further assessment may be required by AAFC. AAFC will contact you as necessary.