Small Business Internship Program

Get a head start on your career with a paid CFIB Internship

Do you have a keen eye for research and writing? Want to learn about government and business from Canada’s most prominent independent business organization?

Check out the CFIB internship in public policy and entrepreneurship, sponsored by our partner, Scotiabank.

Every year, top college and university graduates from across Canada take their skills from the classroom to positions of influence as CFIB interns. The internship will help you understand the realities of running a small business in Canada while building important relationships with key stakeholders in government and the small business community.

What do you get out of the internship?

Over a six-month period (May to October) with CFIB, here’s how you will contribute to the organization’s success—and grow as a professional:

Get published: Produce content, such as CFIB research reports, surveys, op eds, news releases, and social content to support CFIB’s advocacy online and in meetings with decision-makers in municipal, provincial and federal governments.
Hone your skills: Sharpen your marketing and communications strategy, skills and tactics for engaging with government, small business owners and other stakeholders.
Learn from experts: Participate in special training sessions conducted by CFIB, Scotiabank and guest speakers on topics ranging from lobbying to government and the economy.
Be part of the team: Work directly with CFIB’s great team of experts and professionals across Canada.

We begin the search for our interns in February each year. Internships for 2022 will be based in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa. Candidates preferring to work from home full time located anywhere in Canada will also be considered. Find the four job postings here:

Apply now

Intern Reports

2021

Title	Author
Alberta’s Municipal Watch Report	Taylor Brown, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern, Keyli Kosiorek, Senior Policy Analyst
BC Employer-Paid Sick Leave Program – Small and Medium Business Sentiment, Concerns, and Reality	Mengyao Niu, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern, Samantha Howard, Senior Director, BC and Strategic Projects
Canadians spent more at big box stores, less at small businesses during the pandemic: It's time to change that CFIB's submission to the Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee on the future of work	Tabeena Saleem, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Les PME québécoises et le salaire minimum (French only)	Delphine Duhaime-Gagne, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern, Francis Bérubé, Senior Policy Analyst

2018

Title	Author
BC Municipal Spending Watch Report, 11th Edition	Mackenzie Cumberland, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern, Aaron Aerts, BC Economist and Richard Truscott, Vice-President of BC and AB
Alberta Municipal Spending Watch Report, 9th Edition.	Shannon Hazlett, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Manitoba Municipal Sending Watch Report, 4th Edition	Owen Clune, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern, Jonathan Alward, Director of Provincial Affairs, Manitoba
Service Canada Call Centre Report Card	Lashaunda Yates, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
More With Less: Economic Growth with an Aging Workforce	Raoul Ntwali, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Ministry of Labour Hotline Report: Understanding Bill 148 Beyond the Minimum Wage	Sara Bourdeau, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern

2017

Title	Author
BC Municipal Spending Watch 2017, 10th Edition	Muriel Protzer, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern, Aaron Aerts, BC Economist and Richard Truscott, Vice-President of BC and AB
Saskatchewan Property Tax Gap Report, 10th Edition	Anthony Cole Hinzmann, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern and Jennifer Henshaw, Senior Policy Analyst, Saskatchewan
Alberta Property Tax Report	Andrew Yule, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern and Gavin Kaisaris, Policy Analyst
Alberta Municipal Spending Watch Report, 8th Edition	Andrew Sennyah, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern and Gavin Kaisaris, Policy Analyst
CRA Report Card, 6th edition	Isaac Turner, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern and Michelle Auger, Coordinator, National Affairs
Ontario Small Business Opinions on Local Government, 2nd	Ryan MacDonald, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern, Ryan Mallough, Senior Policy Analyst, Ontario

2016

Title	Author
Saskatchewan Property Tax Gap Report, 9th edition	Rainer Kocsis, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern and Jennifer Henshaw, Policy Analyst, Saskatchewan
Manitoba Municipal Spending Watch, 3rd edition	Sawyer Swarek, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern and Gavin Kaisaris, Policy Analyst
CRA Report Card, 3rd edition	Aaron Van Tassel, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Worse than Paper Cuts: Small Business Perspectives on the Newfoundland and Labrador Recycling Program	Tanisha Connolly, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern

2015

Title	Author
Alberta Municipal Spending Report, 2015	Edward Ketcheson, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Manitoba Municipal Spending Watch	Elliot Sims, Director of Provincial Affairs, Manitoba Gavin Kaisaris, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
A Small Business Assessment of Workers’ Compensation: 2015 Small Business Workers’ Compensation Index	Marvin Cruz, Senior Research Analyst Sarah Gebretsadik, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Beyond the Big Border	Joseph Doris, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Canada’s Municipal Spending Watch 2015	Nina Gormanns, Senior Research Analyst Cam Nguyen, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Powering Entrepreneurship	Kyla Roberts, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern Andreea Bourgeois, Senior Analyst Denis Robichaud, Director, Provincial Affairs

2014

Title	Author
Canada Revenue Agency Report Card	Ben Woodfinden, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Realities of Agriculture in Canada	Carly Barefoot, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern Mandy D’Autremont, Senior Policy Analyst, Agri-business and Saskatchewan
Ontario Property Tax System Stacked Against Small Business	Jovonne Lee, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Alberta Municipal Spending Report, 2014	Zack Moline, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
WANTED: Property Tax Fairness in Saskatchewan	Eric Muller, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern Nina Gormanns, Research Analyst
BC Municipal Spending Watch 2014	Edward Ketcheson, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Interns

2013

Title	Author
Alberta Municipal Spending Watch 2013 4th Edition: Trends in Operating Spending, 2000-2011	Samuel Karamanis, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
WANTED: Property Tax Fairness in Saskatchewan A ranking and small business perspective of property tax gaps in Saskatchewan	Eli Gotthilf, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern, Prairie Ben Kolisnyk, Policy Analyst, Prairie
Ranking Provincial Tax Systems in Canada: CFIB’s 2013 Small Business Provincial Tax Index	Marvin Cruz, Research Analyst Renée Anne Nat, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
BC Municpal Spending Watch 2013 6th Edition: Trends in Operating Spending, 2000-2011	Mike Klassen, Director of Provincial Affairs, British Columbia Richard Fong, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern
Coming Up Short: Barriers to Apprenticeship and the Shortage of Labour	Katie Phillips, Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Intern

What have CFIB’s interns produced?

All Scotiabank/CFIB interns author an official CFIB report that we use to advocate for small business with all levels of government.

In addition to the report, you’ll develop all the supporting documents, including a news release, digital content and letters to government.