Empowering Futures
Electricity Human Resources Canada’s (EHRC) Empowering Futures Program is Canada’s student and first-year apprentice work placement initiative for the electricity industry, providing financial incentives of up to $10,000 to employers who create new Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities. With these incentives, employers can offer more WIL opportunities, building their talent pool and strengthening our industry’s workforce. Empowering Futures is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Apprenticeship Service and Student Work Placement Program (SWPP).
Grant Deadline
2026-03-31
Funding Amount
Deadline not available
Type of Grant
Hiring
Sectors
Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Electrical, Manufacturing, research and discovery
Demographics
Incorporation
For Profit
Perks
Region Restriction
This grant is restricted to whole of Canada
Keywords
manufacturing, construction, hiring, future, hire incentive, apprentices, working together, Electricity, learning
Age Restriction
This grant is age restricted from 18 to 100
Eligibility and Requirements
Employer Organization Eligibility
Employers Organizations are eligible if they meet the following criteria:
- Firms whose primary activity is the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.
- Sector support including renewables, in any of the following areas: R & D, business development, energy efficiency.
- Firms engaged in manufacturing of equipment and the provision of services necessary to generation, transmission or distribution.
Participant Eligibility
Participants are eligible if they meet the following criteria:
- They are registered as a full-time or part-time student in a post secondary institution.
- They are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person with refugee protection in Canada.
- They are legally able to work in Canada according to the laws and regulations of the province or territory where they live.
Employment Eligibility
Employment is eligible if it meets the following criteria:
- The wages for this position must not be funded by another federally funded program.
- The company must provide a full or part-time work opportunity for a student in post-secondary education, enrolled in a science, technology, engineering, mathematics, arts, or business program.
- The company must not recruit and retain friends or family members as participants to the co-op wage subsidy program, or have a sufficient nepotism policy in place.
- The placements must be meaningful work-integrated learning opportunities for the students. As such, they should be generally at least 12 weeks long (exceptions can be discussed).
Employer Organization Eligibility
Employers Organizations are eligible if they meet the following criteria:
- Firms whose primary activity is the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.
- Sector support including renewables, in any of the following areas: R & D, business development, energy efficiency.
- Firms engaged in manufacturing of equipment and the provision of services necessary to generation, transmission or distribution.
- Firms that are a Small or Medium Enterprise (SME) – a business establishment with 499 employees or less at the time that it receives funding.
Participant Eligibility
Participants are eligible if they meet the following criteria:
- They are registered as a first-year apprentice in one of the construction/manufacturing Red Seal trades identified below.
- They are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person with refugee protection in Canada.
- They are legally able to work in Canada according to the laws and regulations of the province or territory where they live.
Employment Eligibility
Employment is eligible if it meets the following criteria:
- The employer must not enter into another Sub-Agreement with any other organization receiving funding under the Apprenticeship Program within the same fiscal year, for the purpose of receiving a financial incentive
- The company must provide a full or part-time work opportunity for a first-year apprentice in one of the aforementioned Red Seal trades.
- Each SME hiring an apprentice, can receive funding for a maximum of two apprentices per fiscal year.
- The company must not recruit and retain friends or family members as participants to the co-op wage subsidy program, or have a sufficient nepotism policy in place.
- The placements must be meaningful work-integrated learning opportunities for the apprentices. As such, generally, they should be generally at least 12 weeks long (exceptions can be discussed).
- Placements must not be longer than one year.
Eligible construction/manufacturing Red Seal trades are:
Construction:
- Boilermaker
- Sheet Metal Worker
- Welder
- Steamfitter/Pipefitter
- Refrigeration and AC Mechanic
- Construction Electrician
- Plumber
- Landscape Horticulturist
- Roofer
- Lather (Interior Systems Mechanic)
- Glazier
- Sprinkler Fitter
- Insulator (Heat and Frost)
- Gasfitter A
- Gasfitter B
- HEO Dozer
- HEO Excavator
- HEO TLB
- Mobile Crane Operator
- Construction Craft Worker
- Concrete Finisher
- Tower Crane Operator
- Powerline Technician
- Ironworker Generalist
- Ironworker Reinforcing
- Ironworker S/O
Manufacturing:
- Boilermaker
- Sheet Metal Worker
- Welder
- Steamfitter/Pipefitter
- Refrigeration and AC Mechanic
- Instrumentation and Control Technician
- Machinist
- Tool and Die Maker
- Metal Fabricator (Fitter)
- Industrial Electrician
- Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)
Grant Application website
https://ehrc.ca/programs/empowering-futures/
Contact
Additional Questions?
If you have more questions about Empowering Futures, you can contact us at the following:
Yoana Turnin,
Project Manager
613.235.5540 ext. 243