Internships in the Federal Public Sector

Please note that the Federal Public Sector Youth Internship program is in the process of closing and no new internship opportunities will be available. We would like to thank all the mentors, the youth interns and all our partners who made this program a real success.

“No experience, no job… no job no experience.” For young people, escaping this vicious cycle can be an overwhelming challenge. Under the Federal Public-sector Youth Internship Program, people aged 16 to 30 complete a paid internship and receive support from an experienced mentor, which makes it much easier for them to enter the job market.

Subsidized by Service Canada, this internship program was established to break the vicious cycle of a lack of experience among youth wanting to enter the job market. It offers young people job experience lasting six months for high school graduates and nine months for non-graduates, which is long enough to serve as a springboard for integration into the job market.

The Downtown Y centre manages the program for the province of Québec, with the exception of the Gatineau region. A team of employment counsellors prepares and facilitates the integration of the young interns. The participants first spend a week learning about themselves; they identify their personal and professional skills and narrow down their internship choices on the basis of their areas of interest and their aptitudes. Those who have not completed high school spend four weeks in preparatory training sessions that explore many topics essential to joining the job market: the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, attitudes on the job, labour standards, preparing for interviews, writing a résumé, etc.

The interns work in various federal ministries such as Corrections Canada, Human Services Development Canada and Parks Canada. Participants can choose from different types of activities according to their areas of interest and skills, including manual labour, office work and customer service. They are paired with a mentor in the public service who supports them throughout their internship. A follow-up is done by the Y’s employment counsellors.

This program helps young people who are likely to have difficulty finding a job become more aware of their interests and skills. It provides them with the tools to look for a job, introduces them to computers and supports them as they prepare to enter the job market. Above all, it gives them their first work experience.