Wage Subsidies and Funding for Hiring Indigenous Workers in Canada

Hiring Indigenous workers is not just the right move; in Canada it is often a funded one. Several programs subsidize wages, training costs, or both when employers hire and develop First Nations, Metis, and Inuit employees. Here is the landscape, in plain employer terms.

Wage subsidies through Indigenous employment organizations

The largest network runs through the federal ISET program, delivered by more than a hundred Indigenous organizations across Canada: friendship centres, tribal council employment arms, and Metis employment services. Many of these organizations offer wage subsidies that cover a share of a new Indigenous hire's wages for a training period, along with candidate matching from their own client base. The route in is direct: call the Indigenous employment organization serving your region and ask what employer partnerships they run.

Youth and student programs

Federal youth employment funding regularly flows through Indigenous organizations for summer and first-job placements, subsidizing wages for younger hires. If your workload has seasonal peaks, these programs align perfectly and build your future permanent workforce.

Apprenticeship supports

For trades employers, apprenticeship comes with its own stack of incentives: federal and provincial grants for apprentices, and in several provinces, employer tax credits for taking apprentices on. Combine these with ISET-funded pre-apprenticeship candidates and the first-year cost of a new tradesperson drops substantially.

How to actually use this

• Post the role where Indigenous candidates will see it, like Aboriginal Hire, so the pipeline exists.
• Call your regional Indigenous employment organization before you hire, not after; subsidies usually need approval up front.
• Ask about the whole package: wage subsidy, funded tickets for the hire, and post-hire supports often come together.

Common questions

Do subsidies apply to small businesses?

Yes, and small employers are often preferred partners because one placement matters more in a small team.

Where do I find my regional organization?

Search the Government of Canada's ISET agreement holder list, or ask your local friendship centre who handles employer partnerships for Indigenous employment in your area.