Explore a career with the Government of Canada

Ottawa government buildings

As a co-op student, working for the Government of Canada offers an exciting chance to kickstart your career while making a real difference in people’s lives. Find a career path that matches your passion with diverse job opportunities.

You’ll be part of a workplace that celebrates diversity and inclusion, ensuring everyone feels respected and valued. With positions available across the country, and even globally, you will have great work-life balance and access to various career development opportunities. Join a large, national community of students and discover if a fulfilling career in government is right for you!

Government of Canada opportunities

À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks job boards

Government of Canada jobs are posted on À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks, many on the Full Cycle Service board but you may find others on the Employer Student Direct job board. Government of Canada jobs are open to all co-op students, in all faculties and year of study. 

Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP)

The is another pathway to find a job. The FSWEP is open to all students (co-op and regular stream) returning to full-time studies in the next academic term. You can apply to FSWEP job opportunities by adding your résumé to a student recruitment inventory on the Government of Canada website. These roles might qualify for co-op credit. Please follow the Arrange Own Job (AOJ) process for approval based on co-op work term requirements.

Research Affiliate Program 

Work part-time as a with the Government of Canada while pursuing your studies. Conduct innovative research related to your degree or program and gain experience with a federal department or agency. Working for Canada’s top student employer, you’ll enjoy a diverse and inclusive workplace and could kick-start a meaningful career that spans hundreds of fields and offers thousands of jobs across the country. 

Applying for the Government of Canada

Job locations

Students work across the country for the Government of Canada. Most jobs are in Ottawa/Gatineau, followed by the Greater Toronto Area. Learn more about job locations on À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks job postings. 

Most co-op work arrangements are hybrid, requiring a minimum of three days in the office (though this may vary depending on role and department). 

·¡±ô¾±²µ¾±²ú¾±±ô¾±³Ù²âÌý

Preference is given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who meet the job requirements. Additionally, some departments can only hire Canadian citizens. These requirements will be indicated in the job posting on À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks or the respective recruitment pages. 

Salary

The Government of Canada uses a pay grid to determine salary for co-op students. The pay grid indicates seven steps for undergraduate students. However, this does not always align with the co-op work term number.

Learn more about .

Language requirements

Many student jobs are unilingual English/French. Some jobs require fluency in both English and French.

How to apply

The Government of Canada posts jobs on À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks under specific departments (e.g., Environment and Climate Change Canada) and students apply using traditional co-op processes.

To access the Full-Cycle Service job board navigate to Co-op Jobs in the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks menu and select Full-Cycle Service.

Some employers post co-op opportunities in advance of the recruiting term on the Employer-Student Direct job board.

To access the Employer-Student Direct job board navigate to Co-op Jobs in the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks menu and select Employer-Student Direct.

Students who apply through the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) posted on the Government of Canada website can submit their position for co-op credit by following the Arrange Own Job (AOJ) process.

Sample job titles

Faculty of Arts
  • Policy analyst
  • Communications specialist
  • Economist/Analyst
  • HR assistant
Faculty of Engineering
  • Building science technologist
  • Co-op student - spent electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries
  • Renewable and electrical energy co-op
  • Structure & materials performance laboratory co-op student
Faculty of Environment
  • GIS assistant
  • Junior environmental analyst
  • Species at risk analyst
  • Remote sensing - geomatics research assistant
Faculty of Health
  • Junior regulatory affairs officer
  • Policy advisor
  • Digital communications advisor
  • Strategic partnership co-op student
Faculty of Mathematics
  • Python deep learning programmer
  • Mobile and web application developer
  • Data analyst
  • Junior statistician-mathematician
Faculty of Science
  • Microbial genomics research assistant
  • Atmospheric boundary layer research assistant
  • Quantum photonics research student
  • Synthetic chemist co-op student

Sample projects

Explore projects in the government
  • Inserting Canadian values into our use of artificial intelligence.
  • Unlocking the potential of open data.
  • Managing Canada’s largest technology operation.
  • Enabling secure access to online services through trusted digital identities.
  • Developing the Government’s first digital policy.
  • Developing the Government of Canada’s first voice activated service.
  • Prototyping secure data exchange platforms.
  • Developing innovative and citizen-centric approaches to service delivery.
  • Making it easier for Canadians to request government information.

Working for the Government of Canada

Confirmation of employment

Government of Canada hiring managers require a confirmation of employment document as part of the hiring process after you have been matched with a job.

CEE provides this document to employers and students. Your confirmation of employment is available for download on À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks. You do not need to get a proof of enrolment letter from The Centre.

Security clearance levels

All Government of Canada co-op roles require a security clearance. Most jobs require a reliability status security clearance level. However, some roles may require secret or top secret security clearance level. Security clearance requirements are noted in À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks job descriptions.

Security clearance processing times vary and can take anywhere from 10 days to several weeks. In some cases processing can take months. It is very important to complete all security clearance documents and tasks as soon as possible so you can start your work term on time.

You can find these clearance documents and tasks by following this process:

Rank/match > match > documents > fingerprinting > security clearance > offer letter

Once you have received confirmation of security clearance, you will receive an offer letter. This will indicate your co-op work term start date.

Fingerprinting

Public Services and Procurement Canada's (PSPC) Contract Security Program (CSP) conducts criminal record checks, which require fingerprinting. Some Government of Canada roles will require you to complete a criminal record check, which includes fingerprinting.

A security clearance can take anywhere from four to eight weeks of processing time, depending on various factors. It is very important to complete all security clearance documents and tasks as soon as possible so you can start your work term on time.

Fingerprinting locations:

International students

International students, with valid visas permitting work in Canada, may be considered for student employment programs when no eligible, qualified Canadian students are available for the position. Canadian students include students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada in accordance with section 4 of the .

Security clearance processing time can vary. It is very important to complete all security clearance documents and tasks as soon as possible so you can start your work term on time.

Employment Equity

The Government of Canada hires people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes the public service even more talented, inclusive and diverse. Self-declaration is voluntary, but by , you’ll be considered for job opportunities where belonging to one of these groups is a requirement. Your information will be kept confidential. 

Post-graduate work opportunities

Students hired through government student programs such as co-op, FSWEP or the research affiliate program can be re-hired after graduation. Student bridging facilitates the hiring of students into positions anywhere in the federal public service after completing the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ degree. If hired as a student, you could be bridged into a temporary or permanent position. 

Learn about student experiences with government positions

Stefan Venceljovski in front of art themed icons
Thursday, January 16, 2025

From classroom to career: how co-op can propel Arts students forward

By: Alison Chase | 7 min read

Stefan Venceljovski (he/him) is a double major Political Science and History student with a minor in international studies and a specialization in international relations. He is currently in his 3B term. Stefan speaks about how he has explored potential career paths through his co-op experiences.