Grow our community by growing its youth
For a Muslim business owner, a summer hire is good business and a deed with lasting reward. It puts into practice what the Quran and Sunnah ask of us toward one another.
Muslims in the London area in the 2021 census, 6.7% of the population.
King’s University CollegeMedian age of Muslims in Canada, compared with 41 for the population as a whole. Many of our young people are looking for a first job now.
Statistics Canada“Actions are only by intentions.”
Hire with the intention of serving a young person, and a payroll decision becomes an act of worship.
“Cooperate in righteousness and piety.”
A business, a young person and a public program working together for good.
“The best of people are those most beneficial to people.”
A first job is one of the most useful things you can give a young person.
“Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than what he earned by working with his own hands.”
You give a young person their first honest, dignified earnings.
“Allah helps His servant as long as the servant helps his brother.”
Ease a young person’s start in life, and trust Allah to ease your affairs.
“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”
Give someone the start you were given, or wish you had been.
Deeds end at death except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for you.
The skills and work ethic you teach may keep benefiting long after the summer ends.
No interest. No debt.
Canada Summer Jobs is a non-repayable grant. There is no loan and no interest (riba) involved.
Open hiring is part of the amanah
The program requires an inclusive, non-discriminatory workplace, and Ontario’s Human Rights Code protects job applicants from discrimination because of creed. Reach our youth widely, then hire the best candidate on merit, whoever they are. Treating every young person you hire with excellence (ihsan) is itself a witness to our values.
Where to find candidates
Masjid announcements after Jumuʿah, the Muslim Students’ Associations at Western and Fanshawe, Islamic schools, youth programs and community WhatsApp groups. Post the job in the usual public places too.
A federal wage subsidy for summer jobs
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) is run by Employment and Social Development Canada. It pays part of the wage of a young person you hire for the summer.
Private businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees across Canada. Non-profits and public bodies can also apply.
Half of Ontario’s adult minimum wage. Payroll costs such as vacation pay, CPP, EI and WSIB are not covered for businesses.
Students or not. They must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person, with a Social Insurance Number.
Full time, 30 to 40 hours a week. Placements average about 8 weeks.
The job must start and end within this window in 2027.
Through the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS) portal, linked from the program page.
If you pay more than minimum, you cover the difference. Paying above minimum still helps, because it scores higher. Funding is oversubscribed, so not every eligible application is approved. Budget 2025 funds up to 70,000 jobs nationally in 2027, down from 100,000 in 2026.
Sources: CSJ 2027 applicant guide · CSJ 2026 applicant guide (PDF) · ESDC news release, Oct 27, 2026 · ESDC Question Period Note
Jobs that match a priority score extra points
- 1
Construction
Including affordable housing and community development: site labour or admin support for building teams.
- 2
Environment and climate
Climate mitigation or adaptation, environmental restoration, climate technology. No specialist skills required.
- 3
Digital skills or AI exposure Fits most shops
Data work, web content, cybersecurity, coding, or using AI tools for research and content creation.
- 4
Not-for-profits serving underserved communities
Only not-for-profit organizations earn points for this one.
Source: ESDC, Canada Summer Jobs: what this program offers. Check your riding’s local priorities too.
ESDC encourages hiring youth facing barriers, including Indigenous, Black and racialized youth, youth with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ youth.
Scoring weights from the 2026 applicant guide. The 2027 guide keeps the same three objectives.
What a summer hire really costs you
The subsidy covers about 40 to 44% of the true cost, because it is based on minimum wage and payroll costs stay with you. Try your own numbers.
| Wages (350 hours) | $6,475 |
| Vacation pay (4%) | $259 |
| Employer CPP, EI and WSIB | $599 |
| Total cost to your business | $7,332 |
| CSJ subsidy (up to) | −$3,141 |
| Your net cost | $4,191 |
Cash flow: you pay wages every payday. The CSJ advance of up to 75% ($2,356) arrives once the job starts and your declaration form is in. The remaining $785 comes after your final claim.
Assumptions: minimum wage $17.95; employer EI $2.30 per $100 (2027); employer CPP 5.95% above the basic exemption (a CPP cut announced for 2027 would lower this slightly); public holidays counted within hours. The subsidy is an upper limit, not a guarantee. Sources: minimum wage · EI 2027 · CPP 2027 · WSIB 2026
Your time: about 40 to 65 hours over the summer
Most of it comes in the first two weeks. After that, a well-trained hire should save you more hours each week than they take. These are estimates for a typical 10-week placement.
A simple test of whether it pays off: in the typical case, your hire needs to produce about $420 a week of value. That could be extra sales margin, longer opening hours, or about 10 hours of your own week freed up.
| Task | When | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Write the application, with supervision and mentoring plans | Nov 2026 | 3–6 |
| Recruit: review applicants, interview 3 to 5 | Apr–May 2027 | 6–10 |
| Onboard and train | First week | 8–12 |
| Supervise and mentor | Weeks 2–10 | 18–36 |
| Paperwork: agreement, payroll, declaration, final claim | Throughout | 2–4 |
| Total | 40–65 |
Apply now. The hiring happens in spring.
The only urgent step is the application. Everything else can wait until you hear back.
- Oct 27, 2026
Applications open
Apply online through GCOS.
- Dec 3, 2026
Deadline to apply
11:59 p.m. Pacific. Late applications are not accepted.
- From April 2027
Service Canada starts notifying applicants
If approved, sign your agreement before you confirm a hire.
- April–May 2027
Recruit and hire (estimate)
Funded jobs are posted on Job Bank. London Regional Employment Services can help you find candidates.
- Apr 19 – Aug 28, 2027
Funded jobs can run
Your 6 to 16 weeks can fall anywhere inside this window. The advance arrives after the job starts.
- Within 30 days
File your final claim
Within 30 days of the job ending. A job ending August 28 has a claim deadline of September 27.
A second pair of hands at your busiest time
Cover the floor
Serve customers, stock shelves and cover evenings or weekends, so you can extend hours, take a holiday, or stop working seven days a week.
Clear the backlog
Inventory counts, cleaning up product lists, digitizing paper records, chasing supplier paperwork.
Build the digital side
Google Business profile, social posts, online ordering, a simple website, or setting up AI tools. This matches the 2027 digital skills and AI priority.
Grocery, convenience, specialty food
- Shelf and inventory counts
- Expiry tracking
- A product spreadsheet that feeds sales reports
- Weekly specials posts
Restaurant or café
- Patio-season service
- Online ordering setup
- Menu photos
- Answering reviews
Retail boutique
- Online store listings
- Product descriptions drafted with AI, checked by staff
- Customer email list
Salon, clinic or dental office
- Front desk cover during staff holidays
- Appointment reminder setup
- Scanning old paper files
Trades, landscaping, auto repair
- Job-site help
- Before-and-after photos and posts
- Digitized quotes and invoices
Pharmacy or distributor
- Stock rotation
- Delivery coordination
- Cleaning up supplier and customer records
The benefits continue after August. Many owners keep a good summer hire on part time during the school year, or hire them again next summer. That is cheaper and less risky than hiring a stranger later.
What you commit to, and what makes it go well
Your commitments
- A named supervisor and a mentoring plan. Both are part of the application and are scored.
- A safe workplace, with WSIB coverage from the first day.
- An inclusive, non-discriminatory workplace.
- A new role. The hire cannot replace existing staff or volunteers.
- Wait for approval. Your agreement exists only once it is approved and signed.
- Paperwork on time: the declaration form for the advance, and the final claim within 30 days.
Six habits of a good placement
- Write down three or four outcomes you want by August, not just tasks.
- Pair routine work with one project the hire owns, such as an online store or a clean product list.
- Give them a first-week checklist and someone to ask.
- Hold a 15-minute check-in every week.
- Ask at the midpoint what is working, and adjust.
- Finish with a reference letter and a talk about fall or next summer.
Hire for reliability and attitude. Skills can be taught in a summer. Neighbourhood youth, newcomer youth and first-time job seekers often give the most and have the fewest other options.
London’s young people need a first job. Small businesses can give it.
Unemployment in the London region (London, Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford) in the three months to October 2026, up from 6.7% a year earlier. About 23,000 fewer people were working.
Statistics CanadaOntario’s unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds in April 2026, the highest in Canada.
Burlington Gazette, citing Statistics CanadaFewer violent-crime arrests among Chicago youth offered an eight-week summer job with a mentor, compared with similar youth who were not.
J-PALA first job teaches showing up on time, serving customers, working on a team and solving problems. It also gives a young person a reference. Federal evaluations found that young people in these federal youth employment programs later earned more, worked more and relied less on income support than similar youth who did not take part. (ESDC)
In February 2026, London had the second-highest unemployment rate of Canada’s large cities, at 8.8%. (Western Gazette) A city where young people can find a first job is a city they stay in. Students from Western and Fanshawe get a reason to stay after graduating. Newcomer youth get Canadian experience and a local reference. Neighbourhood shops build ties with families who become loyal customers.
What our community gains if more of us do this
hours of paid work experience for young Londoners
in wages, most of it spent locally
of federal money flowing into our community
Illustrative only. Based on the typical placement above: 350 hours at $18.50, with a $3,141 subsidy per hire.
FAQ
Does the person I hire have to be a student?
No. Any youth aged 15 to 30 qualifies, whatever their education or student status. They must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person with a valid Social Insurance Number. International students are not eligible.
How much will I actually receive?
Up to 50% of Ontario’s adult minimum wage for each hour worked, up to 40 hours a week. Vacation pay, CPP, EI and WSIB are not reimbursed for businesses. Use the calculator to see your numbers.
Can I pay more than minimum wage?
Yes, and it earns points on your application. The subsidy is still calculated on minimum wage, so you cover the difference.
When can I hire someone?
Only after you are approved and have signed your agreement. Service Canada starts notifying applicants in April 2027. The job must run between April 19 and August 28, 2027.
When do I get the money?
You can receive an advance of up to 75% once the job starts and the employer and employee declaration form is in. The rest is paid after you file a final claim, which is due within 30 days of the job ending.
Can the hire replace someone who already works for me?
No. The job must not displace existing employees or volunteers.
What if I’m not approved?
Apply by December 3
Everything after the application can wait until spring.
Where these numbers come from
Checked November 10, 2026. Program details can change, so confirm on Canada.ca before you apply.
- Canada Summer Jobs 2027 applicant guide (ESDC): dates, eligible employers, subsidy levels
- Canada Summer Jobs: what this program offers (ESDC): 2027 national priorities, youth facing barriers
- Canada Summer Jobs 2026 applicant guide (PDF): youth eligibility, hours, scoring, payments
- ESDC news release, October 27, 2026 (via Yahoo Finance): 2027 launch, GCOS, April notifications
- ESDC Question Period Note on Canada Summer Jobs: 2027 funding, evaluation results
- Canada Summer Jobs program page
- University of Waterloo HR: Ontario minimum wage from October 1, 2026
- Insurance Business: 2027 EI premium rates
- Daily Hive: CPP rate cut planned for 2027
- WSIB: 2026 average premium rate
- Statistics Canada: labour force by economic region, October 2026
- Statistics Canada: Labour Force Survey, October 2026
- Western Gazette: London’s unemployment rate second highest in Canada
- Burlington Gazette: Ontario’s 17.7% youth jobless rate
- J-PAL: Summer jobs reduce violence among youth (Chicago)
- Student Work Placement Program FAQ
- King’s University College: religious shifts in London, 2021 census: London-area Muslim population
- Statistics Canada: The Muslim population in Canada: median age
- Ontario Human Rights Commission: policy on creed
- Quran 5:2 (Quran.com)
- Sunnah.com: Bukhari 1, Bukhari 13, Bukhari 2072, Muslim 1631, Muslim 2699
- HadithAnswers: “The best of people are those who benefit others”