Summer employment opportunities with the Ontario Public Service

Summer employment opportunities with the Ontario Public Service

Posted on January 6, 2025

The Ontario Public Service (OPS) is pleased to announce the launch of the Summer Employment Opportunities program and the Ontario Internship Program! We encourage you to share this information with eligible students and recent graduates so they may learn and apply for our opportunities and join us to strengthen Ontario, together.

Summer Employment Opportunities (SEO) Program

The Summer Employment Opportunities (SEO) program is a long-running student and recent graduate program in the OPS, annually providing nearly 4,000 student work opportunities across all ministries and many agencies.

To be eligible to participate in the SEO program, applicants must be:

• 15 years of age (by the first day of employment)
• A current high school/post-secondary student or have graduated no earlier than December 2024
• A resident of Ontario during the summer work placement
• Legally entitled to work in Canada for the full duration of the work placement

The OPS is committed to building and fostering a more inclusive, diverse, equitable, anti-racist, accessible, and respectful workplace free from discrimination and harassment. To support our collective organizational diversity and inclusion commitments, a Diverse Talent Stream is available for eligible SEO applicants who demonstrate the skills required for the available positions and self-identify as belonging to any of the following four groups:

• Persons with Disabilities
• Black Persons
• Indigenous Persons
• Bilingual (English/French) Persons

Please visit the SEO website for more information and to apply for the 2025 Summer Employment Opportunities (SEO) program. Please note positions have staggered closing dates between January and April 2025.

Ontario Internship Program (OIP)

The Ontario Internship Program (OIP) provides a paid 12-month internship in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) to recent graduates in a variety of career fields. The OIP offers interns practical experience combined with learning, mentorship, and professional networking opportunities.

The OIP has established three streams to offer more inclusive recruitment for priority underrepresented groups:

• The Ability Internship Stream (AIS) aims to increase representation of persons with disabilities, defined under section 2 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, (2005).
• The Black Internship Stream (BIS) is tailored to post-secondary graduates who identify as Black.
• The Indigenous Internship Stream (IIS) for Indigenous post-secondary graduates who identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit).

As part of these diversity streams under OIP, applicants will have enhanced and tailored supports throughout the recruitment process and internship placements.

To be eligible to participate in the OIP, applicants:

• Must have graduated from a post-secondary institution (up to two years post-graduation)
• Extended eligibility for applicants who identify as bilingual, Black, Indigenous, or a person with a disability (up to five years post-graduation)
• Be legally entitled to work in Canada for the duration of the internship
• Must be living in Ontario during the term of employment
• Not currently an OIP intern and have not been an OIP intern in the past

Please visit the OIP website for more information and to apply now for the 2025 Ontario Internship Program (OIP)!  Be sure to review all the OIP eligibility requirements prior to applying. The OIP application will close January 31, 2025, at 12 PM noon EST.

INFORMATION SESSIONS – January 14^th and January 22^nd, 2025!

The Ontario Public Service (OPS) is hosting virtual information sessions to provide insight into our student and internship programs. These sessions will cover key topics, including the benefits of working in the OPS, career opportunities, eligibility requirements, recruitment timelines, and tips for the application and recruitment process. Attendees will engage directly with our program consultants in a Q&A session.

Please use the links below to register for the SEO and OIP information sessions on the following dates:

• Tuesday, January 14, 2025, from 1:00pm to 2:00pm
• Wednesday, January 22, 2025, from 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Program Promotion 

To promote the upcoming launch of the SEO and OIP programs within your networks, we invite you to:

• follow us and reshare our posts on our social media channel: Ontario Government (LinkedIn)
• access our Google Drive for additional program promotional material including printable posters.
• share and or review our OPS Anti-Racism Policy, OPS Accessibility Plan, and the OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint pages to learn more about the OPS commitment to advance racial equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in the public service.

Questions on the Summer Employment Opportunities (SEO) program can be sent to SEO@ontario.ca.

Questions on the Ontario Internship Program (OIP) can be sent to contact.oip@ontario.ca.