Help Your Business Grow and Develop Digital Talent with WIL Digital

Canadian employers now have a powerful opportunity to strengthen their teams and support the next generation of digital talent through the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Digital program.

Delivered by eTalent Canada in partnership with the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) and funded by the Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program (SWPP), WIL Digital helps businesses hire post-secondary students for meaningful digital work placements - with valuable wage subsidies to offset costs.

What Is WIL Digital?

Work Integrated Learning Digital (WIL Digital) is an innovative initiative designed to connect Canadian employers with skilled, motivated post-secondary students who are gaining real-world experience in digital roles.

The program provides financial support to businesses that hire students across digital economy functions, offering:

• Wage subsidies of up to 50% of a student’s salary (up to $5,000), or

• Up to 70% of salary (up to $7,000) for students from underrepresented groups. 

Underrepresented groups may include students who identify as women in STEM, Indigenous Peoples, those with disabilities, visible minorities, and other historically underrepresented cohorts.

This support helps make student placements more affordable while giving businesses access to fresh perspectives and digital skills that can help fuel innovation and growth.

Benefits for Employers

Participating in the WIL Digital program offers employers a range of benefits, including:

• Financial support to hire talented students and expand capacity

• Access to early-career talent for digital projects and innovation initiatives

• Opportunities to shape meaningful, work-ready learning experiences

• Potential to identify future full-time team members through placements

Because wage subsidies reduce the direct cost of hiring, businesses can invest more in learning and mentorship, making placements impactful for both the company and the student.

Additionally, WIL Digital placements include access to online professional development opportunities for students, helping them build key digital and work-ready skills before or during their placement.

Who Can Apply

The program is open to registered Canadian businesses and not-for-profit organizations that:

• Provide a safe workplace and meaningful role for a student

• Have capacity to hire and mentor a student as an employee (not a contractor)

• Are hiring for roles relevant to the digital economy (in IT, tech, digital services, etc.)

Eligible students must be enrolled at a Canadian post-secondary institution (full-time or part-time) and entitled to work in Canada, but international students do not qualify under this program’s terms.

How to Apply

Employers begin by completing an eligibility prescreen to determine qualification. Once approved, you’ll be invited to complete and submit a full application for review. The process typically takes 5–10 business days after submission. 

Apply here!

Because funding is limited and in high demand, businesses interested in hiring WIL Digital students are encouraged to apply early.

Why This Matters

Work-integrated learning programs like WIL Digital are key to building a pipeline of job-ready digital talent in Canada, while helping employers innovate, adapt, and grow in a competitive digital economy. By offering students meaningful, real-world experience, employers play an active role in shaping the future workforce and strengthening industry-education partnerships.

Whether you’re a tech startup, a scale-up, or an established organization exploring digital transformation, WIL Digital can be a strategic way to both grow your team and support student career pathways.