Energy, Mines, and Resources

Agriculture Internship and Mentorship Program

The objectives of the Agriculture Internship and Mentorship Program are to:

  • provide opportunities for established members of the Yukon agricultural and agri-food industry to hire new entrants to the industry as agricultural interns in their agri-business;
  • provide new entrants to Yukon agricultural and agrifood industry with an opportunity to access agricultural and agri-food industry mentors.

The internship or mentorship term will be for a minimum of eight weeks to a maximum of 25 weeks.

Eligible activities

  • Hiring an intern to teach them about agricultural production in Yukon. The intern must demonstrate a commitment to work in the industry and should have some agricultural background, education, training or experience.
  • Supporting a mentor to learn from them about agricultural production in the Yukon. The mentor must have significant knowledge of, and experience with, Yukon agricultural production and agri-food processing (at least five years of industry experience and an active agribusiness operation in Yukon).

Eligible applicants

An intern is an individual who is a new entrant to the Yukon agricultural and agri-food industry with a demonstrated commitment to work in an agri-business as an intern.

A mentor is an individual who has an active agribusiness operation in Yukon and has at least five years experience in the Yukon agricultural industry.

The applicant and intern or mentor must include a learning plan with identified goals with the funding application. Both the applicant and the mentor will be responsible for completing an evaluation report at the end of the internship or mentorship. Immediate family members are not eligible for this program.

Eligible funding

For an internship, the applicant is eligible to claim up to 50% of the intern wages to a maximum of $5,000 per year and $10,000 over the life of the program. Wage expenses may include costs for room and board provided to the intern by the applicant. Funding will only be provided on the basis of the actual wages and wage expenses paid. Financial documentation verifying these expenditures must be provided with the invoice.

For a mentorship, the applicant is eligible to claim up to 50% of the mentor honourarium, to a maximum of $5,000 per year and $10,000 over the life of the program. Honourariums will be determined on the basis of Yukon government guidelines.

Growing Forward Contact:

Energy, Mines and Resources
Agriculture Branch
Phone: 867.667.5838
Fax: 867.393.6222
Email: agriculture@gov.yk.ca

Visit us on the 3rd floor, Room 320, of the Elijah Smith Building at 300 Main Street in Whitehorse, Yukon.