Career Focus

Eligibility | Application & Reimbursement Procedures | Position Assessment Criteria | Financial Assistance | Terms and Conditions | Important Contacts

Career Focus is designed to provide support to high school and post-secondary instructors who help students access career-related work experience.

Instructors identify employers who are able to provide employment experiences that are related to the career plans of students identified for referral.

Students have the opportunity to explore career possibilities and may establish contacts leading to permanent employment following graduation.

Employers receive a wage incentive to assist in the creation of new career-related positions for students and benefit by having interested and motivated employees.

Career Focus operates between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012. Applications will be accepted during two intake periods:

• April 1 to June 24, 2011; and then
• September 6 to December 31, 2011.

Summer Application Deadline:

• All applications must be received at least three weeks prior to the proposed start date.
• Applications will not be accepted after June 24, 2011 for positions planned for July and August, 2011.

Eligibility

Educational institutions must be:

• universities, colleges and public or private high schools.

Employers must be:

• registered Manitoba businesses, institutional organizations or community/non-profit groups;

• in full operation prior to program application;

• identified by an appropriate educational institution as providing a career-related employment experience.

NOTE: Federal and Provincial government departments, agencies and crown corporations are not eligible.

Employees must be:

• full-time students (taking a minimum of 60% of a normal year's studies) 16 years of age or over, legally entitled to work in Canada and not employed more than 20 hours per week.

• priority will be given to Manitoba residents.

Those ineligible as Career Focus employees include:

1. non-students and part-time students;

2. students attending school full-time during the proposed employment period (except HSAP and post-secondary coop placements);

3. immediate relatives (father, mother, legal guardian, husband, wife, son, daughter, brother, sister) of the owner, hiring authority or any director of the applicant business/organization;

4. individuals who are owners or part-owners of the applicant business/organization;

5. board members and members of the executive of the applicant organization;

6. self-employed individuals, independent contractors, sub-contractors, independent commission salespersons, individuals involved in one-on-one personal services or those paid on a piece-work basis (e.g. babysitters, in-home care providers and gardeners);

7. employees already approved/participating in another provincial/federal wage incentive program.

Positions must:

• be approved by the appropriate educational institution and offer employment to a student referred by that institution;

• be in addition to regular and/or seasonal hiring;

• provide a minimum of 25 regular hours of employment each week;

• provide consecutive weeks of employment;

• provide a minimum of 160 hours of employment;

• not result in the lay-off, reduction of hours or dismissal of any current employees or replace employees who have previously been laid-off or dismissed;

• not be funded by any other employment program;

• be in addition to regularly scheduled shifts, regular work activity or required staff/client ratios;

• provide career-related skills and/or one-on-one training.

Any exceptions to program criteria must be approved in writing by the Program Manager.

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Application and Reimbursement Procedures

1. Educational institutions will recruit employers to participate in the program based on the employers' ability to create career-related work experiences. At the discretion of the educational institutions, academic credit for quality work experiences may be provided to participating students.
   
   
2. Completed employer and employee applications must be submitted to participating institutions and assessed by the educators responsible for coordinating applications. All applications must then be forwarded to Manitoba Career Focus by the participating educational institutions.
   
   
3. Applications will be assessed upon receipt. Employers and participating educators will be notified promptly regarding the approval or rejection of their applications.
   
   
4. Employers who hire before receiving approval will be disqualified from the program.
   
   
5. Replacement employees will not be considered unless endorsed by a participating educational institution.
   
   
6. Career Focus employers agree to permit placement of signage on the work location identifying the premises as that of a Career Focus employer and to permit identification of the employer by name in publicity related to the Program.
   
   
7. Approved employers must pay their employees their full wage each pay period, including overtime earned during that period, before submitting claims for reimbursement.
   
   
8. Claims for reimbursement must accurately reflect payroll records detailing weekly hours worked and be submitted to the program immediately after the Career Focus funding period. Career Focus will not accept claims for reimbursement which have not been signed by the employer and approved employee. All approved training must be supported by a completed Reimbursement for Training Costs form.
   
   
9. Allow six to eight weeks for processing of claims for reimbursement.
   
   
10. Career Focus claims for reimbursement must be filed within 90 days from the end of the approved period coverage or the claim will be cancelled and the file closed.
    
    
11. A random sample of approved positions will be monitored.
    
    
12. All applicants will be notified in writing as to whether or not their Career Focus application has been approved or rejected.
    
    
13. Any exceptions to program regulations must be approved in writing by the Program Manager in advance.

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Position Assessment Criteria

Each position will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• degree to which the identified position can demonstrate direct career-related link for the student identified;
• duties to be performed;
• special skills and training to be provided to the student;
• demonstration that the position is additional;
• ability to provide employment and training in areas reflective of Manitoba labour market skill shortages; AND
• opportunities for students to gain mentorship and one-on-one training opportunities.

1. Priority consideration will be given to positions where the proposed employee is considered to belong to an employment equity group ( i.e. Aboriginal people, persons with a disability and visible minorities).
   
   
2. Applications submitted by one employer to other wage incentive programs such as Green Team programs or Canada Summer Jobs 2011 (the Federal Government student employment program) will be assessed by staff from both programs and appropriate funding will be determined.
   
   
3. Small to medium size employers will be given a higher relative priority for assessment purposes.
   
   
4. Approval of positions is subject to the availability of funds.

 

Financial Assistance

• Manitoba Career Focus provides employers with a wage incentive of $3.00 per hour. Payments will be issued on a claim for reimbursement basis. All employers are eligible to apply for a maximum of three positions per independent work location.
  

• Training costs will also be supported to a maximum of $100.00 per position.
  

• All employers are responsible for contributing to employee benefits such as vacation allowance, employment insurance and the Canada Pension Plan.
  

• Manitoba Career Focus will not provide wage incentives for:

  • any weeks worked outside of the approved employment period;
  • any weeks in which an employer has not provided a minimum of 25 regular hours of employment;
  • any time off given to an employee in lieu of overtime pay or wages paid in lieu of notice or as severance pay;

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Terms and Conditions

NOTE:

Failure to comply with any of the following Terms and Conditions could result in disqualification from the program and demand for repayment of any funds received. In signing Section E Certification of the Career Focus application the applicant agrees to comply with all terms and conditions listed in this information, if approved for assistance.

1. All approved employers agree:
   1. to comply with all Federal and Provincial laws and regulations governing employers;
   2. to provide each employee with supervision, training or orientation and a clear definition of the duties and position responsibilities;
   3. to provide and pay the employee for consecutive weeks of employment during the funding period.
   4. to pay the employee the provincial minimum hourly wage or the wage indicated on the application form, whichever is greater.
      OR
      That wages for positions which fall under the jurisdiction of an employee association or union are to be agreed upon by an accredited representative of the employees' association or union. OR
      That employers in the construction industry must pay at least the applicable industry minimum standard wage;
      
   5. to maintain an accurate daily record of the hours worked by each Career Focus employee, including a separate daily record of overtime hours. Claims for reimbursement, payroll records, including records of daily hours worked, cancelled cheques, records of employer contributions and employee deductions for all employees funded under the program must be maintained in Manitoba and produced for review upon request by a person employed by the Government of Manitoba to monitor the program;
      
   6. to pay each employee's wage at least twice per month and provide a pay statement on each occasion;
      
   7. to provide each employee (including agricultural employees) vacation pay at the rate of 4% of regular gross earnings; and
   8. to make only those deductions from the employee's wage which go toward normal employee benefits, are authorized by the employee or are required by law.
      
      
2. For positions not covered by a collective agreement, or by the Construction Industry Wages Act, all overtime hours worked must be paid at one and one-half times the regular hourly rate of pay. Overtime hours include any hours worked by an employee in excess of eight hours per day and any hours worked by an employee in excess of 40 hours per week. Any variation to standard hours of work must be approved through the issue of an Hours of Work (HW) Order by the Manitoba Labour Board. For farm employers, any hours in excess of 10 hours per day, or 50 hours per week will be considered overtime by Manitoba Career Focus.
   
   
3. Employers listed in the compulsory workers' compensation category under The Workers' Compensation Act, must ensure that each employee is covered by workers' compensation and, when asked, must provide Manitoba with satisfactory proof that the required workers' compensation coverage is in place. Employers not listed in the compulsory workers' compensation category under The Workers' Compensation Act, must ensure that each employee is covered by privately purchased insurance coverage equivalent to the coverage that would otherwise be available under the Act, and when asked, you must provide Manitoba with satisfactory proof that the required insurance coverage is in place.
   

4. Career Focus employers agree to provide information which will assist in reviewing the effectiveness of the program.
   
   
5. If, in the opinion of Career Focus program officials, an approved applicant or authorized representative has misrepresented the information provided in the application or other Career Focus documents;
   OR
   has used part or all of the funding for purposes other than those authorized on the approved application;
   OR
   fails to comply with the Terms and Conditions of the program as described, program officials may cancel any funding approved or provided and take the appropriate steps to require the approved applicant or authorized official of the approved applicant to repay in whole or in part of any funds provided.
   
   
6. Where Career Focus staff has determined that an employer has failed to comply with programs terms and conditions regarding a Career Focus employee, funding will be withheld until compliance has been verified by program officials. Failure by program officials to take action for non-compliance or for a breach of the program Terms and Conditions shall not be construed as a general waiver or relinquishment of this right.

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Important Contacts

Canada Customs and Revenue Agency: (formerly Revenue Canada)

To obtain a Canada Custom & Revenue Payroll Deduction Account (formerly Employee Registration Number) and information on employer/employee contributions to E.I. and C.P.P., phone Canada Customs and Revenue Agency toll-free at 1-800-959-5525.

Workers Compensation:

To inquire about compulsory and non-compulsory registration, phone the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba, in Winnipeg at 954-4505 or, outside of Winnipeg call toll-free at 1-800-632-3340.

Employment Standards:

If you have any questions regarding your obligations as an employer in Manitoba, for example, payment of overtime, vacation pay, minimum wage or construction wages, please contact the Department of Labour - Employment Standards Branch: www.manitoba.ca/labour/standards/

In Winnipeg phone 945-3352, outside Winnipeg call toll-free at 1-800-821-4307

Hours of Work Order:

In Manitoba, standard hours of work are 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week.  An Hours of Work (HW) Order is required for any variation to standard hours of work.  To inquire about variations to standard work hours, phone the Manitoba Labour Board:

• In Winnipeg phone 945-3783  (Fax: 945-1296)

All Career Focus applications must be submitted to:

Manitoba Career Focus
MB4Youth Division
Manitoba Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors
310-800 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3G ON4
(204) 945-3556 or toll-free 1-800-282-8069 ext. 3556
Fax: (204) 945-5726

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