Governments Helping Workers Start Careers in the Agri-food Sector

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $4 million to help build a strong and competitive agri-food workforce that will ensure people can continue to access the safe and healthy food grown and made in Ontario.

Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the new Ontario Agri-Careers Support Initiative will support pilot projects that help the sector attract, support and retain workers by developing solutions that enable businesses to better meet the needs of employees.

Examples of pilot projects that could be eligible for funding include:

• transportation initiatives for employees to commute to the job site
• childcare options while parents are at work
• language proficiency solutions for workers with English as a second language
• Improving workspace environments to help retain employees.

Pilot projects may be eligible for up to 70 per cent of approved expenses to a maximum of $80,000 for individual businesses or up to $200,000 for a collaboration between two or more businesses. The new Ontario Agri-Careers Support will provide funding support for pilot projects undertaken by food processing businesses with more than 100 employees.

The data collected from these pilots will be compiled into a report by the Agricultural Adaptation Council, and shared with Ontario agri-food processors to help identify successful programs that may be utilized in their individual operations with the aim to address long-term labour challenges.

The Ontario Agri-Careers Support Initiative builds on the $1.5 million intake announced last October and the $22 million Agri-tech Innovation cost-share program launched last April, and is part of the province’s agri-food labour support to build a competitive and skilled agri-food workforce.