Helping industry members to recruit, train and connect talent to in-demand jobs
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has announced the provincial and federal government’s support of an OFA project to rapidly develop a support system for agriculture and food employers as well as job seekers, and ensure both groups can easily connect with one another.
During the COVID-19 pandemic it is essential to keep Ontario’s food supply chain strong and store shelves stocked. The OFA project is working to ensure employers along the agriculture and food value chain will be able to recruit, train and connect workers to in-demand jobs across the agri-food sector.
“There is an ongoing need for workers on Canadian farms and across the agri-food sector, employing a wide range of skillsets,” said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This investment will support Ontarians to train and transition into these rewarding jobs and will help ensure that employers across the sector have the people they need to drive our economy and feed Canadians.”
“The Ontario government is committed to doing everything we can to support our farmers and food processors to meet their labour needs during this unprecedented time,” said Hon. Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “This project is one more way for us to invest in our farmers and the entire food supply chain so they can access the labour and training needed to continue delivering high-quality food to Ontario families.”
“We appreciate the government taking critical steps to support projects addressing labour demands and specialized training needs in our sector,” says OFA President Keith Currie. “We are eager to work alongside our collaborative partners to deliver this project and bridge the labour gap in our industry, during COVID-19 and beyond.”
The OFA project includes a job matching concierge. This concierge is designed to help farmers who may only need one or two people to help but have never employed talent before navigate writing job descriptions, setting up online accounts, posting job openings, and managing applications. The concierge service is also designed to assist medium and large-sized operations who are experiencing hurdles to hiring this year and are overwhelmed by the challenges.
“I always look for the silver lining,” says Kathryn Doan, AgCareers.com Director of Global Business Development. “With the attention the food-supply chain has been receiving as a result of the pandemic, the importance of our industry and the job security of a career in the agriculture and agri-food industry has never been clearer.”
“This is an incredible opportunity to create a progressive image of farming and food processing so that we can attract potential candidates to the industry, both for our immediate needs this summer, as well as for the years ahead. Despite the hardship that many farmers and businesses are facing we cannot forget to communicate the many positives of having a career in agriculture & food.”
OFA will also be partnering with AgCareers.com to host virtual career fairs. “Its another progressive way of reaching potential talent that we may not have attracted in the past,” continues Doan. “We are delighted to be working with OFA and OMAFRA on this exciting new talent recruitment channel.”
OFA’s goal is to encourage potential talent to consider their prospects in the industry, and to pursue agriculture and food industry careers in every region of the province to maintain a strong food supply chain through this pandemic. OFA believes the agriculture and food sector will be one of the key engines for economic recovery and renewal in Ontario.
This project will receive up to $396,000 in cost-share funding through the Canadian Agriculture Partnership.
To access the AgCareers.com Concierge service, visit: https://www.agcareers.com/feed-your-future.cfm