Food Processing Industry Targeting Workers

A study by Food Processing Skills Canada shows young people, recent immigrants, and indigenous people are more highly motivated than the general public to find employment in the food and beverage processing industry.

 

Information gained from the study is used to target employment strategies.

 

The study targeted four population segments that are facing labour market challenges: youth, indigenous people, recent immigrants and individuals unemployed or having been unemployed at least twice in the last five years, especially since labour market projections from the group indicated 65,000 new workers will be required if businesses are to achieve the export sales target set by the Agri-food Economic Strategy Table.

 

"I am excited to share this research with all industry stakeholders. There is so much contained in these reports which hasn’t been seen before. It has confirmed for me the potential for the industry to grow by finding their next workers," said Jennefer Griffith, Executive Director, Food Processing Skills Canada.

 

They've determined targeting the right people is the best way to narrow that gap.

 

The sector is a major source of economic growth in Canada, and the number one manufacturing employer, but businesses simply cannot find enough people to fill positions.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.