Looking For Work? Canadian Food and Beverage Industry Launches Job Seeker Program

DG FotoStock | Shutterstock

While we adhere to strict editorial guidelines, partners on this page may provide us earnings.

Nicholas Sokic

Updated Sep 23, 2024

Nicholas Sokic

Updated Sep 23, 2024

As Boomers age into retirement, there will be a dearth of skilled Canadians to fill these positions within multiple industries — meaning talent acquisition, training and retention is paramount.

Food Processing Skills Canada, a non-profit training and workforce development organization located in Ottawa, has taken note and launched Skills Training Across Canada, an initiative aimed at job seekers, new hires and frontline workers in the food and beverage industry. This was aided by $5.5 million in funding from the government’s Skills for Success Program.

The program has been designed to improve foundational and transferable skills to 800 industry frontline workers and 1,500 jobseekers nationally through training, webinars and resources in both English and French. The curriculum is aligned to the Government of Canada's Skills for Success model and the industry's Learning and Recognition Framework.

"Ensuring Canadian employers have the right tools to support their employees excel in their career is a top priority for Food Processing Skills Canada," Jennefer Griffith, executive director of Food Processing Skills Canada, said in a press release.

"Over the years, we have learned that more than 90% of participants in our previous programs state improved job performance and improved company productivity. When new hires and employees feel valued through training and professional development, the confidence and competence of a business' workforce grows exponentially."

Avoiding the pitfalls of a retiring workforce

Food Processing Skills Canada's Industry Growth and Outlook Report from December 2023 found the average annual hiring requirement for this industry is significant with approximately 11,500 new people required per year driven primarily by the need to replace an estimated 66,800 retirements and age-related exits while considering projected industry growth and labour productivity gains.

Training for new hires and frontline workers interested in joining the food and beverage industry will be provided via comprehensive, online tools to transform employees into confident digital learners. This will be done via a blended approach that includes onboarding, goal-driven content, coaching, gamification and self-directed skills development. This program will be made available in French in January 2025.

Empower your investments with Qtrade

Discover Qtrade's award-winning platform and take control of your financial future. With user-friendly tools, expert insights, and low fees, investing has never been easier.

Start Trading Today

Creating a new frontier of workers

Job readiness training for those looking for positions connected to government and community-serving organizations will also be available later this fall and will include courses in multiple languages, such as French, Spanish, Mandarin and Tagalog.

"The Skills Training Across Canada program for Supervisors that we completed in 2023 has been invaluable to our team. The training is frequently referenced throughout our company, equipping employees with the skills needed to enhance their abilities and excel in their day-to-day duties," Brennan Wiens, human resources manager at Harvest Meats, said in the press release.

“I highly recommend the new Skills Training Across Canada for fostering engagement and developing strong employees within any organization.”

The Canadian food and beverage manufacturing industry contributes $35.2 billion to Canada's GDP and is a top employer with over 310,000 people in the workforce in 2023.

Trade Smarter, Today

Build your own investment portfolio with the CIBC Investor's Edge online and mobile trading platform and enjoy low commissions. Get up to $100 in commission-free options until October 31, 2024.

Nicholas Sokic Contributor

Nicholas completed his master's in journalism and communications at Western University. Since then, he's worked as a reporter at the Financial Post, Healthing.ca, Sustainable Biz Canada and more. Aside from reporting, he also has experience in web production, social media management, photography and video production. His work can also be found in the Toronto Star, Yahoo Finance Canada, Electric Autonomy Canada and Exclaim among others.

Explore the latest articles

Credit card hacks for international travel

Many credit cards offer amazing travel benefits, but it's important to be mindful of fees, safety and hidden charges that can quickly add up

Winston Sih Journalism lecturer | Contributor

Disclaimer

The content provided on Money.ca is information to help users become financially literate. It is neither tax nor legal advice, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, either express or implied, with respect to the data provided, the timeliness thereof, the results to be obtained by the use thereof or any other matter. Advertisers are not responsible for the content of this site, including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any advertiser product, please visit their website.

Looking for work? Canadian food and beverage industry launches job seeker program