Tired of the corporate grind? Looking for a career that reflects your values? The WISE (Work in the Solidarity Economy) Match Program provides you with the relationships and practical tools to get you there.
The WISE Match Program aims to support young people build careers in Montreal's social solidarity economy through mentorship, professional development, and direct connections to employers. We’re here to help launch you into successful and sustainable employment that fits your needs!
Why WISE Match?
Young people are looking for work that reflects their values but don't know where to start. Think of WISE Match as a telescope - a tool to support your search for meaningful employment, magnifying the ins and outs of the job market and equipping you with the network and skills to land your dream job.
We’ve got the low-down: social economy organizations and enterprises are looking for talented people who understand community, cooperation, and social change. Many of them are hiring through relationships, word of mouth, and community networks and we know these connections that can be hard to access if you're just beginning your journey.
WISE Match exists to connect the two.
Through one-on-one mentorship, practical career support, and direct introductions to employers and movement leaders, WISE Match helps you build the confidence, skills, and relationships needed to thrive in Montreal's growing social solidarity economy.
You might not dream of labour, but we hope you dream of building a better world. WISE Match is about discovering a career path where your work reflects your values and where you can contribute to building a more cooperative, democratic, and sustainable future.
Built on the success of SEIZE's former SEMI program, WISE Match focuses on one question:
How do we help people find meaningful, lasting careers in the social solidarity economy?
WISE Match helps turn your values into a career and your passion into a pathway forward.
Want to dive deeper?
Explore the Fundamentals of the Solidarity Economy curriculum
Read the Solidarity Economy Principles
You don't need to have all the answers before you apply. WISE Match is designed to help you explore the sector, build your network, and discover where you fit within a more just and democratic economy.
What is the Social Solidarity Economy?
The social solidarity economy (SSE) is made up of organizations that prioritize people, communities, and the planet over profit.
This includes:
- Cooperatives
- Nonprofit organizations
- Social enterprises
- Community-owned initiatives
- Mutual aid and solidarity-based organizations
Québec has 11,360 social economy enterprises spread out across all regions and many fields. These enterprises generate $53.6 billion in revenues and provide more than 248,000 payroll jobs in Québec (Institut de la statistique du Québec). The sector spans work in housing, food systems, arts and culture, community services, sustainability, finance, media, education, healthcare, and more. Yet many jobs are never advertised widely and access often depends on relationships, sector knowledge, and community connections.
WISE Match helps bridge that gap.
What You'll Receive
One-on-One Mentorship
Each participant will be matched with an experienced mentor working in the social solidarity economy. After reviewing mentor profiles, you'll have the opportunity to indicate who you would be most interested in connecting with. Over the course of the program, you'll participate in four one-on-one mentorship sessions designed to help you:
- Expand your professional network
- Setting goals and action plans for employment readiness
- Strengthen your CV, cover letters and job applications
- Explore career pathways and navigate the ‘hidden’ job market
- Referrals to complementary employment services and opportunities
Skills and Professional Development
WISE Match goes beyond traditional job-search support by helping equip participants with the soft and hard skills needed to thrive in the social solidarity economy. Participants will be invited to attend four interactive workshops covering topics such as:
- Workshop 1: Understanding the social solidarity economy as a labour market
- Workshop 2: Collaboration, teamwork and community building
- Workshop 3: Financial literacy and shared responsibility in democratic workplaces
- Workshop 4: Governance, leadership and workplace culture in the solidarity economy
Networking Opportunities
Discover the people and organizations building a more democratic and just economy across Montréal. Throughout the program, participants will have opportunities to connect directly with practitioners, employers, and fellow emerging leaders through:
- A facilitated speed networking event
- A social solidarity economy career fair
- Curated introductions to employers, community organizations, and sector leaders
- Peer-to-peer connection with a cohort of like-minded participants
Who is the program for?
WISE Match is designed for English-speaking youth and young adults in Montreal who are interested in building careers that create positive social impact.
Applicants must:
- Be between the ages of 18 and 35
- Be part of Quebec's English-speaking Official Language Minority Community
- Be interested in employment within the social solidarity economy
- Be available to participate between September 2026 and March 2027
No previous experience in the social solidarity economy is required. Priority will be given to participants facing barriers to employment, including newcomers, racialized youth, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, people living with disabilities, and those experiencing economic precarity.
Ready to Build a Career That Reflects Your Values?
We love the work that the WeV Change Collective is doing to support people who want their work to contribute to a better world. WISE Match participants will have the opportunity to connect with this growing community through events, peer learning, and relationship-building opportunities focused on values-based career exploration!
Program Timeline
The WISE Match Program runs over eight months, combining individualized support with group learning and opportunities to connect directly with employers across Montreal's social solidarity economy.
Apply → Meet Your Mentor → Build Your Skills → Grow Your Network → Launch Your Career
Meet the Mentors
Our mentors come from across Montreal's social solidarity economy, including leaders experienced in cooperatives, nonprofits, social enterprises, community organizations, and movement institutions.
As a WISE Match mentor, you'll have the opportunity to:
- Support an emerging leader at a pivotal stage in their journey.
- Give back to your community and strengthen the social solidarity economy ecosystem.
- Connect with a network of fellow practitioners and movement builders.
- Help create pathways into meaningful, values-aligned work.
Mentor profiles will be announced throughout the summer.
The Wise Match Program is made possible with the support from:
This project is part of The Community Opportunity Fund, an initiative of YES Employment + Entrepreneurship, funded by the Government of Canada’s Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities. The ideas, views and opinions on this webpage belong to SEIZE and they may not reflect those of the Government of Canada or YES Employment + Entrepreneurship.