1. Hire Student or Alum
  2. Faculty & Staff
  3. Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP)

Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP)

Since 1995, the Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP) has provided Queen’s undergraduate students with an engaging, challenging and rewarding summer work experience. The program encourages creation of on-campus summer jobs that provide valuable experiences for Queen’s undergraduate students.  

 

Note: In this process, "faculty and staff" are considered to be "employers." 

Please refer to the Employer Guide for full program details.

  • SWEP is an internal program and only open to Queen's University departments and faculty members.
  • Proposals for SWEP positions are to be submitted online to Career Services by potential employers via MyCareer.
    • Read "Ready to Post a Job?" below for additional information.
  • Your proposal must include the following:
    • The wage percentage your department will contribute to funding the role
    • A project and job description
    • A learning plan
  • All proposals will be reviewed and ranked by a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Scholarships and Student Aid.
  • Employers will be notified on the results of the committee. If their proposal has been approved, Career Services will post the job on MyCareer for students to view and apply.

Important notes:

  • Late proposals will not be accepted, so please carefully review the important dates & deadlines below.
  • Proposals are ranked on a competitive basis on the merits of the submission and we do not guarantee funding or continued funding.
  • If your proposal is approved, you are responsible for the hiring process (short listing, interview) of the student. Please note that the interview option in your applications does not work for internal employers.  Each candidate will have to be contacted individually.
  • Career Services does not pre-screen applicants. 

Start and End Dates

Employment can commence on or after May 1st and must terminate by August 31st. Jobs may run a maximum of 16 weeks in this 18-week window. Actual start and finish dates will depend on the needs of the employer.

Dates to Remember 2024-25

31 Oct 2024        Deadline for submission of SWEP job proposals from employers
13 Dec 2024       Notification to employers regarding job proposals (successful/not successful)
16 Dec 2024       Summer 2024 job postings available for students to view in MyCareer
13 Feb 2025       Deadline for students to apply to SWEP Summer 2024 job postings
14 Feb 2025       Student applications are sent to employers
31 Mar 2025       Employer deadline for hiring a student and returning signed contract
1 May 2025        Beginning of Student Work Term period
31 Aug 2025       End of Student Work Term period

Submit a SWEP Job Proposal

To post a SWEP job, you must submit a proposal through MyCareer. Please use these resources to help you draft your proposal:

New to MyCareer?

Please note that it can take 2 business days for new accounts to be approved. Please plan accordingly.

Ready to submit a proposal? 

To be eligible for SWEP, students must be:

  • Currently registered in their first full-time Queen’s undergraduate degree program

AND

  • Returning to the same full-time Queen’s undergraduate degree program in the fall (not graduating this year). The student must be eligible both at time of application and throughout the work term.
    • Please note that concurrent B.Ed (Bachelor of Education) students are eligible.
  • Students with disabilities who are registered with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services will be evaluated as equivalent to full-time as long as they are in at least a 40% academic load (6.0 credit units in each term of study) in the term prior and after the SWEP summer term.
  • Students must apply through MyCareer
    • Student eligibility must be confirmed before hiring 

Students applying to SWEP are apprised of the eligibility requirements; however, to ensure students are eligible, employers may wish to confirm this when arranging interviews.

After proposals are received, they are forwarded to a committee to rank based on how the job enables a student to attain a better understanding of the technical and/or professional skills involved in his or her discipline, and how these skills are applied in the work world. It is important, therefore, that you provide detailed information in your proposal.

The proposals are ranked from low to high on two areas (see below).

Funding percentage will also be taken into consideration during the adjudication of proposals.

Each proposal is scored based on its merits according the following criteria:

Project Description

This section should provide an overview of the project, its size and scope, and should provide a layperson’s description of the project’s importance/relevance in relation to, but not limited by, academic discipline, Queen’s strategic goals, and the greater Kingston community. This section will also include the position’s required academic background, special skills required to successfully perform the position, and the technical and professional skills required for the position.

  • A brief overview and history of the project
  • A description of the role, including duties and responsibilities
  • Required qualifications, including academic, technical, and professional skills as relevant

Learning Plan

The Learning Plan is your opportunity to demonstrate the value of this experience for students. Learning Plans should demonstrate what students will gain from working with your unit. The strength of the Job Description will depend upon a detailed learning plan that will provide a process through which a student will enhance the skill sets already acquired through academic study and prior work experience as well as the addition of completely new skills.

Consider the following questions

  • What skills will a student be able to demonstrate and develop as a result of their SWEP experience?
  • What opportunities and/or activities will be provided to the student to allow them to develop these skills? Please list specific examples where possible.
  • What, if any, unique opportunities will the student be able to participate in?

When you are notified that your proposal is approved, you are responsible for hiring a student to fill the position.

Remember, Career Services does not pre-screen applicants. The department, faculty, school or organization which has had its SWEP job proposal approved hires the student.

After the student application deadline, Career Services will release the applications through MyCareer for the employers to view all SWEP applications. The employer is then responsible for arranging interviews, selecting a candidate, and making the job offer (prior to offering a job you must advise the SWEP Coordinator of your choice to ensure the candidate is eligible).

SWEP hiring process:

  • Review applications
  • Short list, then interview your candidates.
  • Confirm student is eligible for SWEP
  • Offer position to student
  • Advise the SWEP Coordinator of your wish to hire a particular candidate.
    • Only after you receive confirmation that the student meets the eligibility requirements, can you make an offer to the student.
    • You will need to provide the student name, student number and the job number.
    • The SWEP Coordinator will create a contract and forward it to you to obtain signatures.

The SWEP signed contract MUST be returned to Career Services no later than the deadline date.

To work on campus in the SWEP Program, students MUST have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).

To get a SIN number, students should seek advice at: Queen's University International Centre website

Wondering how much to budget for a SWEP hire?  View our SWEP Budget Planning document 

  • The total remuneration for Summer 2025 is $18.20/hour plus 4% vacation pay.
  • No SWEP employee may earn more or less than this amount.
  • SWEP funds will be transferred into the employers’ accounts by Financial Aid and Awards. This usually occurs in May.
  • Employers must complete casual payroll requisition through PeopleSoft bi-weekly and subsequent salary payments are deposited into the employee’s bank account.
  • A SWEP self-audit form will also be forwarded to the employer for completion and return before the end of the student employment.

The Student Work Study & SWEP Manual can help you learn about the details of working with a student in a SWEP position.