June 14, 2008 – Service Canada is providing financial assistance for this project through the Government of Canada’s Career Focus program, which offers financial support to employers and organizations to provide post-secondary graduate youth with career-related work experience in their field of study.

Through this project, the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) is offering subsidies of $12,000 to enable sport organizations to hire young professionals for coaching positions leading to permanent full-time employment.

A total of 20 internships are available. The deadline for applications is July 4, 2008 for positions starting August 1, 2008. This program is funded in part by the Government of Canada

For a list of previous interns, click here.

Who may apply?

To participate in Career Focus, participants must be

– Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada or persons on whom refugee status has been conferred;
– between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive) at the time of intake/selection;
– post-secondary graduates;
– out of school;
– unemployed;
– legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations;
– not previous participants of a Career Focus project; and
– not in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.

Eligible employers include sport clubs and associations, national/provincial/territorial sport organizations, and educational institutions. Employers must be incorporated entities, whether provincially, territorially, or federally, and must carry general liability insurance.

Employers must demonstrate the capacity to provide the intern with a safe, supervised, and meaningful work experience leading to a permanent position. Employers are encouraged to provide information and training on workplace safety and ensure the necessary protective equipment is available to participants. Employers must enter into a full-time employment contract with the intern for a minimum duration of one year, with the intent to renew.

To support the intern’s development as a coach, the employer is required to coordinate a mentorship relationship for the intern with the immediate supervisor or a senior coach. Working together, the intern and the mentor will further develop the intern’s coaching skills and address areas identified as skills gaps. Regular reporting and meetings will review the intern’s progress measured against their learning plan.

How does the subsidy work?

The employer needs to enter into a full-time employment contract with the intern for a minimum duration of one year, with the intent to renew. Each employer will receive a subsidy of $12,000 toward the intern’s salary. The subsidy will be paid over a seven-month period (from August 1, 2008 to February 28, 2009).

Employers are required to top-up the internship subsidy to an appropriate salary for a professional coaching position.

Employers will also be required to pay mandatory employer costs, such as the employer’s share of EI premiums and CPP/QPP premiums, WCB coverage, and Employer Health Tax, depending on the employment legislation in the province or territory where the internship is located.

In addition, each intern will be invited to attend at a reduced cost, the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership sportif 2008 from November 7 to 9 in Calgary. More information will be made available to successful applicants.

How do we apply?

Ideally, potential employers and potential interns will seek each other out and, in partnership, will submit a joint application for funding to CAC. For the application form, please click here.

Both Part 1 and Part 2 of the application should be submitted by July 4, 2008.

How are applications evaluated?

A committee will review the applications, and select applicants for funding based upon the following:

– the employer’s commitment to continue the internship as a full-time position;
– the employer’s financial commitment to the intern’s salary;
– the employer’s demonstrated capacity to provide a safe, supervised, and meaningful work experience for the intern;
– the intern’s qualifications (education, coaching experience, and commitment to career path) and eligibility;
– the extent to which the internship will meet the needs/gaps of the coach and employer;
– a recent police record check will be required for successful applicants, by August 30, 2008 at the latest.

For more information, please contact Michael Howard at the Coaching Association of Canada at 613-235-5000 ext. 9-2375 or by e-mail: coachinginternship@coach.ca