Careers: student and new professionals
Learn more about Ontario Public Service opportunities for students and new professionals.
Overview
The Ontario Public Service offers a number of programs for students and new professionals including:
- internships
- co-ops
- summer employment opportunities
By joining the OPS, it will give you an opportunity to gain experience and develop new skills that you can add to your resume.
You will also be able to:
- share your knowledge and grow your network
- continue to learn and develop new skills
- have the kind of job satisfaction that comes from knowing you are working for the benefit of all Ontarians
- be part of a team of energetic and creative people in an organization that welcomes new ideas and people from diverse backgrounds, and
- receive competitive pay and benefits
Internship and co-op opportunities
Here are the benefits of our program opportunities:
Explore career options
Interns and co-op students gain invaluable work experience as they explore the range of career opportunities available with the Ontario Public Service (OPS).
Keep learning
Through experience, relationships, and training, interns and co-op students are supported by a wide network of peers, managers, and mentors to guide and enrich professional growth. Interns and co-op students receive ongoing feedback, mentoring and coaching to grow and succeed.
Get connected
Countless professional communities and employee networks are yours to discover. Interns and co-op students connect with leaders at all levels and collaborate with colleagues to make a difference.
Ontario Internship Program
The Ontario Internship Program helps graduates seeking a great opportunity to start and accelerate their careers. It's a year-long, paid developmental opportunity that provides practical hands-on experience while delivering important public services to the people of Ontario.
Individuals who have graduated or will graduate with a recognized degree, postgraduate certificate or diploma during the last two years may apply. Some applicants may apply within five years of graduation. See our Eligibility Requirements for more details (Opens in a new tab).
Interns can choose to work in one of the following areas:
- business and financial planning
- communications
- human resources
- information and information technology
- labour relations
- policy development
- program and service delivery
Visit the Ontario Internship website for more details (Opens in a new tab)
Co-operative placements
Co-operative post-secondary students receive practical paid experience while earning course credits in placements in the OPS.
To participate, you must be:
- enrolled in co-operative education in a post-secondary school
- a Canadian citizen or legally entitled to work in Canada
- 18 years of age or older for field positions
Co-op placements in the OPS are posted at various educational institutions across Ontario. Check for co-op job postings with your school’s career centre and respective co-op office.
Summer employment
Every year, the OPS, provincial agencies and community groups provide up to 5,000 students with jobs across the province. These jobs help Ontario students with limited work experience develop transferable skills, support their career goals and learn more about the OPS.
Summer Employment Opportunities are full-time, temporary positions ranging from 7-18 weeks between May and September. We offer a wide variety of student jobs diverse career fields:
- Administrative and Support Services
- Business and Finance
- Human Resources and Labour Relations
- Marketing and Communications
- Customer and Client Services
- Engineering, Technical, and Maintenance
- Environment and Wildlife
- IT and Information Management
- Parks (Ontario Place, Ontario Parks)
- Policy and Analysis
- Science
- Social Services
- Program Delivery
How to find job postings
Summer Employment Opportunities (SEO) Program posting date for all job types: November 30, 2022.
You can find additional information about program eligibility, application deadlines, and our hiring process on the Summer Employment Opportunities webpage.
Summer employment opportunities webpage
Other internships and co-ops
We offer a wide range of internships and co-ops, find out what is available.
One-year internships for people who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Metis, Inuit) and are post-secondary graduates within the past 5 years.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) Internship Program
An up to 10-month internship for post-secondary students or recent graduates, interns work as resource technicians, ecologists, biologists, systems officers, foresters and communications officers for key ministry projects.
Transportation Technician Program
This three-year entry-level Ministry of Transportation (MTO) program for civil engineering graduates provides practical, multifunctional learning experiences through rotational assignments in many disciplines, including construction, highway design, program planning, and maintenance.
Transportation Engineering Development Program
A four-year development program with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) for recent civil or geotechnical engineering university graduates, provides practical, mentored multidisciplinary learning experiences through rotational assignments including construction and maintenance, highway design, program planning, structural, traffic and materials engineering.
Environment, Conservation and Parks Engineering Development Program
This four-year development program with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) for current and recent university graduates in chemical, civil, environmental or mechanical engineering offers practical, multidisciplinary learning experiences through rotational assignments across the ministry, allowing interns to gain the qualifying experience required to obtain their P.Eng license.
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Engineering Development Program
A four-year development program with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for recent graduates from accredited engineering universities that provide non-licensed individuals with the work experience to support obtaining their P.Eng licence. This is an opportunity to apply your engineering knowledge as part of a multi-disciplinary team to support engineering solutions that contribute to a healthy environment, food safety, public health and welfare, and a robust agriculture and food industry.
Law Student Programs with the Ministry of the Attorney General
The Ontario government is one of the largest employers of law students in Canada, hiring approximately 175 articling students and 70 summer students every year. Our law student programs offer the opportunity to gain legal skills in a supportive and collaborative environment. Students participate in work that has a real and meaningful impact on the lives of Ontarians, in the areas of:
- criminal law
- civil litigation
- regulatory prosecutions
- policy development
- Indigenous law
Ontario Legislature Internship Programme (Opens in a new tab) (Ontario Legislative Assembly)
A 10-month (September to June), non-partisan opportunity to gain practical experience directly supporting Members of Provincial Parliament in the legislative process and in the day-to-day operations of their offices. Interns will have opportunities to meet with political leaders and officials from the Legislative Assembly, the public-sector, and other parliaments. Interns also receive a stipend and there is potential for national and international travel. Applications are opens from December to January each year.
Inclusion and diversity
OPS commitment to diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism:
- We are committed to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to promote a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable workplace.
- We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals, as well as people from a diversity of ethnic and cultural origins, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.
- The OPS provides French-language services in a variety of positions throughout the organization. We invite and encourage applications from bilingual candidates who are proficient in English and French.
- Visit the OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint to learn more about the OPS commitment to advance racial equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in the public service.
- We offer employment accommodation across the recruitment process and all aspects of employment consistent with the requirements of Ontario's Human Rights Code (Opens in a new tab).
Contact us
If you have any general questions, or more specific about the following:
- job advertisement
- status of a competition
- help with an application (for example, disability accommodation)