EHRC Youth Climate Corps

The employer or training organization must provide full-time paid internships and/or training opportunities (including education) in climate-related or emergency management fields.

The employer or training organization may be eligible if they are one or more of the following:

• An organization whose primary activity is the generation, transmission or distribution of electricity.
• An organization that supports the electricity sector in areas such as research and development, business development, energy efficiency, fuel switching, clean energy technology, smart grids, energy storage or sustainable development of non-renewable resources.
• An organization that manufactures equipment or provides services needed for the generation, transmission or distribution of electricity.
• An Indigenous organization or group.
• A provincial, territorial, regional or municipal government, department or agency.

All for-profit and not-for-profit organizations must be incorporated or registered in Canada.

Participants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be between the ages of 15 and30 (inclusive) when the placement starts.
• Be currently under- or unemployed
• Not be currently enrolled in post-secondary studies.
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person with refugee protection in Canada.
• Be legally able to work in Canada according to the laws and regulations of the province or territory where they live.
• Not be receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.

The employment opportunity must:

• Offer at least 16 weeks’ of full-time, paid work or training in climate-related and emergency management fields, specifically in the electricity or natural resources sector.
• Be completed by March 31, 2027.
• Require an employer to pay at least 25% of each participant’s salary.
• Not have its wages or training costs funded by another federal program.
• Not involve recruiting or retaining friends or family members as participants unless the employer has a sufficient nepotism policy.

Eligible employment may include:

• Climate adaptation: Roles that help electricity infrastructures prepare for and withstand the impacts of climate change.
• Climate mitigation: Roles that focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions or increasing carbon sequestration.
• Environmental impact reduction: Roles that improve energy efficiency in production, distribution and use.
• Climate education and outreach: Roles that build public understanding, workforce skills and community engagement around climate science and electricity-oriented solutions.
• Climate policy, planning and governance: Roles that shape regulations, strategies and decision-making frameworks supporting electricity-sector climate action.
• Climate data, research and technology: Roles that generate insights, develop tools and create innovations that support electricity-sector climate solutions.

Employers may be required to release Youth Climate Corps participants to attend funder-sponsored career building activities, including:

• Skills development and training
• Mentorship
• Peer connection and shared-learning opportunities, such as networking and group training.

Disclaimer: EHRC reserves the right to apply additional criteria to eligibility to ensure national and equitable representation of our funded programs. Applicants may be required to participate in a video onboarding call prior to approval.

EHRC’s Youth Climate Corps reimburses up to 75% of a participant’s gross wages, up to a maximum of $11,000 per placement. Employers cover at least 25% of wages.

An additional $2,500 per placement is available for those that support:

• Women
• Indigenous youth
• Youth with disabilities
• Newcomers to Canada
• Youth in the North (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut)
• Youth in rural or remote communities (fewer than 1,000 people)
• Youth in remote communities (permanent or long-term settlements with at least 10 dwellings and no year-round road access)