Regulations Amending the Student Employment Programs Participants Regulations (22-04)

Dear colleagues,

On June 29, 2021, the Public Service Employment Act was amended to strengthen diversity and inclusion, and address biases and barriers faced by equity-seeking groups. One of the changes ensures that permanent residents benefit from the same hiring preference as Canadian citizens in external advertised appointment processes.

To ensure alignment between the Student Employment Framework and the act, we are pleased to inform you that the Student Employment Programs Participants Regulations and the Policy on People Management (which governs the Directive on Student Employment) have been amended. These amendments provide students who are permanent residents with a preference for appointment equal to those who are Canadian citizens. Note: The web version of these documents will be updated in the coming weeks.

The change applies to the approved student employment programs (Federal Student Work Experience Program, Post-Secondary Co-op/Internship Program and Research Affiliate Program) for appointment processes that commence on or after June 24, 2022. For the purpose of transition, a student appointment process commences on the date an advertisement is posted, or when a referral search is conducted from an inventory.

The Student Recruitment System has been updated, allowing students who are permanent residents to be referred at the same time as Canadian citizens from an inventory. This information has also been updated on our public service student recruitment programs web pages.

You may also reach out to your staffing support advisor or Public Service Commission regional office to discuss specific questions and situations.

Sincerely,

Gaveen Cadotte
Vice-President
Policy and Communications Sector
Public Service Commission of Canada

Ravinder Rakhra
Vice-President
Services and Business Development Sector
Public Service Commission of Canada

Mireille Laroche
Assistant Deputy Minister
People and Culture Sector
Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer