Funding opportunities
Riipen Level UP
We are excited to partner with Riipen Level Up, an experiential learning platform and marketplace for project-based learning. As a business, non-profit, or community organization in our network, we are happy to offer you free access to Riipen Level Up.
What is Level UP?
Level UP projects are fully subsidized, 60-hour internships that can be completed fully online or hybrid. The Riipen Level Up project structure is applied TRU’s co-op education positions through eight 60-hour internship projects back-to-back.
What is experiential project-based learning?
Experiential project-based learning is a teaching method that involves students designing, developing, and constructing hands-on solutions to a problem with a company or non-profit partner. Using project-based learning, students can build upon their creative capacity by working through real-world problems.
Why use project-based learning?
Generate fresh ideas: Every business has projects sitting on the side of their desk. Work with our students to bring life to new ideas! With their fresh eyes, strategic thinking, and innovative lens students can help your business to grow.
Access talent: Get to know our students before you hire them. Complete short-term project-focused work that is faculty-supervised and let us show you what our students can do. Identify top talent to join your organization.
Organizations must check their eligibility for the Riipen Level Up program.
Check your organization’s eligibilityIf eligible, you will be emailed instructions to post your projects.
InstructionsNational funding opportunities
Government of Canada’s Canada Summer Jobs program
Canada Summer Jobs is a program under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, which aims to provide flexible and holistic services to help all young Canadians develop the skills and gain paid work experience to successfully transition into the labour market.
Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program wage subsidies
Work placements are a win-win for employers and students. Through the Student Work Placement program, employers can apply for wage subsidies to help them hire post-secondary students across Canada.
Government of Canada’s Young Canada Works Program
Young Canada Works (YCW) offers eligible employers wage subsidies and access to a pool of talented youth with innovative ideas and competitive skills. Subsidies to eligible employers enable the creation of about 2,300 job opportunities per year in heritage, arts, culture and official languages.
Eco Canada’s Eco Employment programs
Eco Canada offers employment programs that stimulate environmental career pathways, skill development, business growth, workforce support and workforce advancement through wage and training funding.
Explore the Business Benefits Finder
Explore the Business Benefits Finder from the Government of Canada’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Green Jobs Initiative
Explore Canadian Parks and Recreation Association’s (CPRA) Green Jobs Initiative.
The Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit
The Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit (AJCTC) for employers
BC/Yukon funding opportunities
Explore the Association for Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning’s (ACE-WIL) “Where to get funding” resources.
Innovate BC’s Innovator Skills Initiative.
BC Arts Council’s Early Career Development Grant for organizations.
Indigenous funding opportunities
Government of Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy programs:
- The First Nations and Inuit Youth Summer Work Experience Program
- The First Nations and Inuit Youth Skills Link Program
The First Nation’s School Association (FNSA)
The North Vancouver Island aboriginal training society funding programs:
The Government of Canada’s Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) program.
- ISET is designed to help indigenous people improve their skills and find employment. The program is facilitated through local Indigenous service delivery organizations.
- Find your local Indigenous service delivery organization
Government of British Columbia’s Indigenous youth internship program.
Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS).
Career equity resources
The TRU Career and Experiential Learning department is committed to supporting employment opportunities for a diverse labour market.
We are thankful for the long-standing relationships we have with employers all over BC and believe it is important to support the people who are integral to our students’ career success.
Here, employers can find resources on how to become more accessible for people who live with on-going health conditions, injuries, or disabilities.
Working towards accessibility
Working towards accessibility means understanding what disabilities are, how they impact individuals who have them, and how we can support them through accommodations to create equitable access.
Many definitions exist for the term “disability”, and it is important to recognize that definitions can limit understanding or exclude certain experiences. However, for the purposes of this page, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines disability as “any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).” Source
Disabilities may have a functional impact on an individual. A functional impact is the way a person’s condition affects the way they work and learn. For example, a person may have difficulty interacting socially or experience chronic pain and require adaptations to their working environment that will enable them to meet the expectations of the job.
These functional impacts can be aided with accommodations: an adaptation to the work environment that supports the different ways people work and learn. For example, a person who has chronic back pain may require a supportive chair or, a person with difficulty with focus and concentration may need a distraction reduced environment.
Through recognizing disability and providing accommodations, we can support those who have disabilities.
Employer guide for determining accommodations
This guide suggests how to proceed with approving employee accommodation requests, such as when to ask for medical documentation.
Tips for employers
This infographic provides some key tips on how employers can work towards becoming more accessible.
List of medical conditions defined as disability
This list provides several examples of medical conditions that the Government of Canada considers a disability under the World Health Organization’s definition.
Accommodations matrix
This matrix provides suggestions for accommodations for functional impacts related to a variety of disabilities.
Decision making tree
This decision-making tree illustrates the approval process flow outlined in the Employer Guide for Determining Accommodations.
Medical form template
This streamlined template was designed to save you and your employee time when requesting medical documentation from healthcare professionals.
Accommodations employee self-assessment
This template was designed to generate ideas for accommodations and could also be included in your hiring package to encourage accommodation requests at the start of employment.
Community resources
Deep Map
The Deep Map is a community resource hub in the form of an interactive map. The purpose of this map is to identify inclusive community services to support our diverse student population. At TRU, we recognize the importances of providing students, employers, faculty and staff with information that prioritizes health and well-being. Search the map by people, group or service using the drop-down menus. To view the contact information and a description of services for an organization, simply click the hotspot location on the map.
Explore the Deep MapCommunity Law Clinic
The TRU Community Law Clinic can support employers with legal advice on issues related to employment law and human rights. The law clinic also provides a variety of other legal services; however, limitations do apply.
Explore the TRU Community Legal ClinicFAQ
Who is eligible for accommodations?
Persons with a diagnosable disability, injury or medical condition may be eligible for accommodations either in the workplace or working from home. Most companies have an accessibility policy that outlines what information is needed to qualify. For example, an employee may need to provide an employer with medical documentation that supports their accommodation request(s). For assistance with determining eligibility, check out our Employer Guide for Determining Accommodations.
How can medical documentation help in determining accommodations?
Medical documentation can be helpful in determining accommodations if it confirms the presence of a disability, describes the person’s functional impacts and provides recommendations for accommodations. It is not necessary for the documentation to include the person’s diagnosis.
Medical templateWhat are my legal responsibilities?
Employers have a duty to accommodate employees with disabilities, as per BC Human Rights Code and Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, to the point of undue hardship. For more information, on the duty to accommodate and undue hardship, check out the BC Human Rights Tribunal website.
What should I do if a co-op student discloses that they have a disability?
If a co-op student discloses that they have a disability at any point during their work term, ask if there is anything you can do to accommodate them. If you require assistance determining accommodations, you may find our Employer Guide for Determining Accommodations and Decision-Making Tree helpful. With the student’s permission, you may also want to connect with the student’s co-op coordinator to discuss options for accommodations that will support them in meeting their learning outcomes.
What should I do if an employee/co-op student discloses that they have a mental health disability?
Mental health disabilities are considered episodic, meaning there are unexpected periods when a person feels unwell. Depending on the severity and length of the episode, a person may need time to recover. While some companies are embracing flexible schedules, others require that employees work their scheduled hours to maintain productivity. If an employee discloses that they have a mental health disability, first ask them if they require accommodations. Every person’s experience with mental health is unique, so the accommodation request may be simple to implement. More complex situations may require some creative planning with the student/employee so that they can still meet the expectations of the job. We encourage you to reach out to the student’s co-op coordinator for additional support.
Career equity resource links
Funding and wage subsidies
- Government of Canada - Enable Accessibility Fund
- Government of Canada - Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities
Legal duties and responsibilities
Helpful links and FAQ
Government of Canada and Government of British Columbia
- Employment Standards
- Government of BC Employers Services and Information
- Government of Canada’s Employer resources and tools on employment equity
- Government of Canada’s Human Resources Management
- Government of Canada’s Human Resources Regulations
Salary rates and labour market information
General FAQ
How do I hire a TRU student?
Employers can post their open positions to TRU’s job database Career Connections by creating an account and posting position information. Students can then view job postings, and Career and Experiential Learning staff can facilitate the process by helping post positions, collecting resumes online, sending the resumes to the employer, and arranging interviews, including providing meeting spaces.
How do I post a job for students?
Career and Experiential Learning uses a job database called Career Connections. You can sign up for your own account, and post jobs directly to the database. Students can then view your posting and submit their applications through the Career Connections database.
In what capacities can I hire a TRU student?
Employers may post positions to Career Connections for casual, part-time, full-time and Co-op positions.
How long can I hire a student for?
There is no limit to how long employers can hire students for in casual, part-time and full-time positions. Though there are a limited number of Co-op work-terms students can do, employers can always offer the student a work position that is not classified as a Co-op work-term.
How much should I pay a student?
Pay is determined by the employer and can depend on the job type and qualifications required. Check out the Co-op Programs for typical hourly wages.
When are students available to work?
Depending on the student’s availability, students may be able to start work-terms in May, September or January.
Am I responsible for a student's relocation fees?
Employers are not responsible for any fees associated with students relocating for positions.
Co-op FAQ
What responsibilities do I have when I hire a Co-op student?
Hiring a Co-op student is not much different than hiring any other student. Co-op students should be hired into positions relevant to their field of study. The only additional responsibilities include being a part of a mid-term site visit where you will review the student’s performance with their co-op coordinator and completing an evaluation of the student’s performance at the end of their work term. That’s it!
Do I have to hire a student as a Co-op student?
No, you may hire students for casual, part-time and full-time positions.
From what programs can I hire a Co-op student?
Students in the following programs are eligible for Co-op positions:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Business Administration
- Bachelor of Computing Science
- Bachelor of Natural Resource Science
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Tourism Management
- Bachelor of Engineering in Software Engineering
- Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
- Computing Science Diploma
- Tourism Management Diplomas
- Business post-baccalaureates
- Tourism post-baccalaureates
For detailed information on these programs, please visit Eligibility.
How long can I hire a Co-op student for?
Employers can hire co-op students for 4, 8 or 12-month work-terms.
What criterion do I need to meet for the work-term to be considered a Co-op work-term?
Work positions must have a minimum of 420 hours in a 12-16 week period per work-term (semester) to qualify as a co-op work-term.
When are students available to work?
Depending on the student’s availability, students may be able to start work terms in January, May or September for 4, 8 or 12 months.
Am I responsible for a student's relocation fees?
Employers are not responsible for any fees associated with students relocating for positions.
