Government of Canada Launches 2010–11 Small Business Internship Program

Program invests in job creation by supporting small businesses and students

The launch of the Small Business Internship Program (SBIP) for 2010 was announced on April 7 by the Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism), along with Rodney Weston, Member of Parliament for Saint John.

The SBIP helps small and medium-sized enterprises across Canada improve their productivity and competitiveness by hiring approximately 400 student interns annually to help with information and communication technology (ICT) projects.

“Our government’s Small Business Internship Program will help small businesses grow and create jobs in the information and communications technologies and e-commerce sectors,” said Minister of State Moore. “Through this initiative, our government is supporting small businesses, which create so many of our new jobs.”

Thanks to the SBIP, Canadian small businesses are able to apply to hire a qualified student intern for a 12-week period to help them with e-commerce ICT projects. The SBIP reimburses up to 75 percent of the eligible salary and benefits costs for each participating small and medium-sized enterprise.

“Canada’s small businesses are a major engine of the Canadian and New Brunswick economies,” added Mr. Weston. “The government is working hard through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, and through programs like SBIP, to provide these businesses with the opportunities they need to succeed.”

Industry Canada has selected 14 organizations from across Canada as delivery agencies for the SBIP. The delivery agencies will be responsible for selecting businesses to participate in the program. This is being done in anticipation of the first interns being placed with small businesses this summer. The University of New Brunswick in Saint John will deliver the program in New Brunswick and in Prince Edward Island.

The SBIP is a collaborative effort of Canadian small businesses, post-secondary institutions and non-government organizations that offers post-secondary students hands-on experience working on e-commerce projects under the mentorship and coaching of entrepreneurs.
The SBIP will receive $17.5 million in funding through 2014 as part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy.

For more information on the SBIP and its delivery agencies, please visit the SBIP website.

To view the original government news release click here.