The Get Youth Working! Program is a British Columbia government grant for hiring program offered through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Agreement and run by Bowman Employment Services. The program is specifically designed to offer a generous incentive to BC employers looking to hire unemployed and non-EI eligible youth between the ages of 15-29 years of age.
BC Grants for Small Business Guidelines
Employers may request two types of funding through Bowman Employment Services:
1.) A hiring incentive of up to $2,800; and,
2.) Funding for supplementary training of up to $1,000.
A maximum of $2,800 will be offered to employers for each eligible employee hired under the program. Funding for supplementary training of up to $1,000 will be available to for training where a training plan has been approved by Bowman Employment Services. An employer may hire up to 3 employees under this program.
British Columbia Business Grants for Hiring: Employer Eligibility
In order to be eligible for this BC grant for hiring program, employers must meet the following criteria:
- In operation for a minimum of 1 year;
- Registered and in good standing with WorkSafe BC; and
- Deemed suitable for public funding (i.e. not engaged in any illegal, discriminatory or offensive business activities or practices).
Government Grants for Small Businesses in BC: Employee Eligibility
Small businesses in BC must meet the following eligibility criteria in order to be deemed eligible for participation in the Get Youth Working! Program:
- Be unemployed and between 15 and 29 years of age;
- Be accepted as an eligible participant into the program by BES;
- Be a non-EI client (to be verified by BES);
- Not be a full-time student or enrolled in high school or returning to school; and
- Not be a participant in another LMA-funded program while participating in the GYW Program.
BC Grants for Small Business: Program Conditions
In order to qualify for the Get Youth Working! Program terms of hiring must meet the following criteria:
- The term of employment must be in between April 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014.
- Participants must be employed for a minimum average of thirty (30) hours per week.
- The employer must include a minimum employment term for the participant of three (3) months.
- A employers must adhere to all BC Labour Laws in the hiring and employment of the participants.
Learn More about the Get Youth Working! Program
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