Canada Summer Jobs, administered by Employment and Social Development Canada, is a federal program offering wage subsidies to organizations that hire youth aged 15 to 30 for summer work opportunities. Part of a broader Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, the Canada Summer Jobs program aims to provide youth with quality work experiences, including skills development opportunities, and to improve labour market access for youth who face barriers.

Over the course of four meetings, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (the committee) heard from employers, youth and other stakeholders about their experience with the Canada Summers Jobs program. It also received the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth as well as senior federal officials from Women and Gender Equality Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, and Statistics Canada.

Through oral and written testimony, employers spoke to the positive impacts of the Canada Summers Jobs program on their organizations, the youth they hire and their communities. The committee also heard about ways the program could be improved. In this report, the committee shares its findings about the impact and purpose of the Canada Summer Jobs program; funding for the program (including timelines for confirming funding with employers); program design and flexibility; administration; and ways to better support youth. It also makes recommendations to the Government of Canada, aimed at making the program more responsive to the needs of the youth and employers it serves.