Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Niagara agribusinesses facing hiring challenges

Niagara agribusinesses facing hiring challenges

78 industry members participated in a Niagara Workforce Planning Board survey

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Some ag employers in Niagara region are having a difficult time finding employees, new research has found.

The Niagara Workforce Planning Board (NWPB) conducted a study of 78 industry employers on their 2017 operations to get a sense of the challenges local agribusinesses have in attracting good employees.

Altogether, the agribusinesses hired 574 people last year, and about 30 per cent (23) of the employers described hiring new workers as extremely difficult.

NWPBB noticed a few themes were present among the challenging hiring processes, said Adam Durrant, NWPB operations and research manager.


Adam Durrant

“The top four challenges we identified were a lack of motivation, not enough applicants, a lack of technical skills and a lack of work experience,” he told Farms.com today. “Those results definitely stuck out for us, but we can work with other (employment) service providers to get people trained and pair them with proper employers.”

Now that NWPB has this collection of data, they can work with Employment Ontario, high schools and post-secondary schools to determine how to find solutions to those issues, he said.

But more research needs to be conducted before the data can be extrapolated further, Durrant said.

“This research is very much the first word on the matter, not the final word,” he said. “This is a place for us to start and find out what other questions we need to ask on the subject as we move forward.”


Trending Video

Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

Video: Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. David Rosero from Iowa State University explores the critical aspects of fat quality and oxidation in swine diets. He discusses how different types of lipids affect pig performance and provides actionable insights on managing lipid oxidation in feed mills. Don’t miss this episode—available on all major platforms.

Highlight quote: "Increasing levels of oxidized fats in swine diets reduced the efficiency of feed utilization, increased mortality, and led to more pigs being classified as culls, reducing the number of full-value pigs entering the finishing barns."

Meet the guest: Dr. David Rosero / davidrosero is an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on conducting applied research on swine nutrition and the practical application of smart farming. He previously served as the technical officer for The Hanor Company, overseeing nutrition, research, and innovation efforts.