The following piece is from our sister publication, the Alberta Seed Guide.
The Canadian government is giving over $19.7 million for two agriculture and agri-food projects under the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP) to address labour shortages happening in the industry, a Feb. 15 news release said.
“The future of the agriculture and agri-food sectors is contingent on having a skilled and reliable workforce. Over these past few years in particular, Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector has faced significant challenges in acquiring workers and maintaining stability,” Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food, said in the release.
The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council will receive an investment of just over $12 million for their Growing the Agriculture Workforce of the Future: Cultivating Canada’s Post-Pandemic Recovery Project. The release noted this project will help to address human resource shortages in Canada’s agriculture sector. By identifying skills most in need, providing innovative and targeted training programs to 1,175 employers and employees and by setting sector-wide standards for recruiting and retention, this project strives to meet the current and future demands of the agriculture industry.
Food Processing Skills Canada will receive $7.7 million for their Achieving our Workforce Destination: Qualified People, Successful Careers & Competitive Business Project, the release said. This project will offer training programs to 1,250 Canadians in the food and beverage processing sector. It will also develop resources, tools and certifications for supervisors and employees to help improve retention in the industry. The project will aim to engage up to 65 per cent of participants from equity-deserving groups.
The release noted SWSP helps key sectors of the economy to implement solutions that address current and emerging workforce needs by funding organizations to deliver sectoral projects that focus on a range of industry-driven activities, including training and reskilling workers, and helping employers retain and attract a skilled and diverse workforce.
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