Ontario Agri-Careers Support Initiative
Purpose of the Initiative
The Ontario Agri-Careers Support Initiative was designed to grow the labour market for food and beverage processing businesses by either enticing people to become employed in the sector or to remain employed. This initiative supported innovative pilot projects that were tailor-made to address specific needs of employers, employees and jobseekers to attract and retain a strong and vibrant workforce. Successful applicants were required to share their project outcomes, best practices and lessons learned with the industry.
8 Innovative HR Solutions from the Ontario Agri-Careers Support Initiative
Given the significant challenges faced by Ontario’s 4,000+ food and beverage processors in recruiting and retaining top talent, the timing of OACSI was important. By 2025, it is estimated that the Ontario industry will experience up to 25,000 job vacancies representing approximately 20% of the current workforce. The looming gap is a result of an ageing workforce demographic but also the lacklustre attraction of younger generations to the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities in the industry.
As with any complex issue, the labour challenges in this sector demand a comprehensive strategy that includes both industry-driven and facility-level solutions. The Ontario Agri-Careers Support Initiative provided support to eight innovative companies to develop unique pilot solutions that offered value to not just the applicant, but the entire Ontario food and beverage processing industry.
Scroll down to explore a summary report, videos, articles and guides for valuable insights and helpful advice.
Articles
Videos
How to Support Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) - What Employers Need to Know
Working Collaboratively to Drive Employer/Jobseeker Connections
Community-Based Solutions for Rural Processors' Unique Labour Challenges
Hiring Outside the Box: Onboarding with Agility and Retaining Passion at Maple Leaf Foods
Livestream Events
About the Agricultural Adaptation Council
The Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) is an industry-led organization that stimulates growth and opportunity for Ontario's agriculture and food industry through the delivery of funding programs, facilitating connections, and developing partnerships.
The Ontario Agri-Careers Support Initiative program was funded in part through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative. This program is being delivered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.