About FSWEP

The prime objective of FSWEP is to provide full-time students with work experience related to their field of study and to provide them with learning opportunities. The program is also designed to give full-time secondary school, CEGEP, college, technical institute and university students employment opportunities that will:

• Enrich their academic programs;
• Help fund their education and encourage them to complete their studies;
• Develop their employability;
• Improve their ability to find good jobs after graduation;
• Offer insights into future employment opportunities; and
• Help them evaluate their career options within the public service.

Through FSWEP, students obtain:

• Fair and equal access to student jobs offered by the public service;
• Opportunities to learn about the federal government; and
• Valuable work experience while developing and improving their employability.

How does FSWEP work?

The core of the program is a computerized national inventory of students seeking a job with the public service. This inventory is managed by the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Canada, the agency that administers various federal government staffing programs.

Students who would like to find a job within the federal government must first complete the FSWEP application form, which is only available on-line.

After you submit your job application

• The form is sent electronically to a computerized database containing the application of every student who applied during the current campaign (about 55 000 applicants per year);
• Federal organizations offering student jobs submit a request to the PSC;
• The PSC conducts a search in the database based on organizational requirements (e.g. year/level of education, field of study and skills). The system identifies all of the students who meet the search requirements and randomly selects at least five candidates to refer for each position;
• The PSC contacts the selected candidates by e-mail or by phone to check their interest and availability; and
• The organization making the request assesses the referred candidates and appoints the successful candidate.

Recruitment period

FSWEP campaigns normally run from October of one year to September of the following year. The exact date of the beginning of the campaign is posted on our Web site.

At the end of each campaign, the PSC deletes all the data from its computerized inventory, so students who wish to be considered for jobs must complete a new application for each campaign.

There is no cut-off date for FSWEP applications. Students may complete and submit an application at any time during the campaign. Student jobs in federal organizations are filled throughout the year.

Please note that the period from March to June is the peak recruitment time for summer jobs.

Compensation

Students are paid an hourly rate based on their educational level and experience.

To find out more about pay rates for students, see the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students or contact the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat at student.etudiant@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

Related sites

• Student Employment Policy
• Student Employment Programs in the Federal Government

Bridging Mechanisms

The bridging mechanism is a staffing option provided to managers to facilitate the integration of students into positions in the federal public service after the completion of their educational programs. The hiring of a student through the FSWEP, RAP or Co-op/Internship program may lead to temporary or permanent positions for which the student meets the merit criteria and conditions of employment. Please note that managers have no obligation to appoint graduate students who were previously hired through an approved student program.