Student Employment Experience Development (SEED) program

The Student Employment Experience Development (SEED) program helps students gain valuable work and business experience during the summer break.

Students can apply for summer employment with approved employers or start and operate their own business through the Student Entrepreneurship Program. Employers can apply for funding to create summer job opportunities for students.

Students and employers can apply for a SEED Summer Employment Placement through NBSEED.ca.

Students interested in the Student Entrepreneurship Program should contact their regional WorkingNB office to book an appointment with a workforce consultant.

Summer Employment Placement

The SEED Summer Employment Placement program connects eligible students with summer employment opportunities offered by approved employers in New Brunswick.

Placements can last up to 12 weeks and help students gain work experience, develop transferable skills and explore future education and career opportunities. They can also improve employment prospects, including opportunities in a student's field of study.

To be eligible, students must:

• be a resident of New Brunswick who has lived in the province for at least six months, or be a member of a First Nation community in New Brunswick
• be eligible to work in Canada and have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• not be an immediate family member of the employer
• be entering Grade 10, 11 or 12 in the fall, or be a current Grade 12, college or university student returning to full-time studies in the fall

Approved employers and available job opportunities are listed in the employer directory on NBSEED.ca. Students apply directly to employers who make all the hiring decisions.

Student  Entrepreneurship Component

The SEED Student Entrepreneurship component helps students gain hands-on business experience through self-employment during the summer.

Eligible students can apply for an interest-free loan of up to $3,000 to start and operate their own summer business.

Students who meet all program requirements and repay the loan in full may be eligible for a reimbursement of up to one-third of the loan amount.

Priority is given to students who will be attending a post-secondary institution in the fall.

The business must create at least one full-time summer job and provide the student with hands-on business experience. The business must operate for a minimum of six weeks and at least 30 hours per week.

To be eligible, students must:

• be at least 16 years old
• have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• have a guarantor acceptable to CBDC Restigouche if under 18 years old
• have been a full-time student during the previous academic year and be returning to full-time studies in the fall
• be a New Brunswick resident who has lived in the province during the previous six months
• operate their business in New Brunswick
• have only one Student Entrepreneurship loan outstanding at a time

Students must operate an independent business and submit a business plan. The business plan must explain how the business will generate enough revenue to repay the loan.

For detailed eligibility requirements, application instructions and program regulations, refer to the SEED Student Entrepreneurship Program page and the SEED Entrepreneurship Booklet (PDF 1.3 MB).

The SEED Summer Employment Placement program provides funding to eligible employers to create summer job opportunities for students in New Brunswick.

Eligible employers include First Nations communities, municipalities, registered non-profit organizations and religious non-profit organizations. Private sector companies and post-secondary institutions are not eligible for funding.

To be eligible, employers must:

• be located in New Brunswick
• have a Canada Revenue Agency business number for payroll purposes
• comply with applicable collective agreements
• hire students who meet the SEED student eligibility requirements

To receive SEED funding, employers must provide positions that offer a minimum of 35 hours of work per week and last up to 12 weeks. Positions must not replace existing employees and cannot receive funding through another federal or provincial government job creation program.

Funding is available for up to four students per employer. Non-profit organizations and First Nations communities may receive funding for up to 100% of minimum wage, while municipalities may receive funding for up to 50% of minimum wage. Funding includes mandatory employment-related costs, such as Employment Insurance (EI), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions and vacation pay. Employers are responsible for any costs above the subsidized amount.

Employers can apply for funding through NBSEED.ca. Approved employers are listed in the employer directory, where students can view available opportunities and apply directly to employers.