Launch of the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) Workforce Development Initiative

Apr 13, 2018

OTTAWA - The Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) supports the dairy industry in recruiting and training a highly skilled, diverse workforce to meet the current and future needs of our dairy producing and processing sectors.

Today, the CDC launched the Workforce Development Initiative (WDI) – a three-year, $5 million investment to support the attraction and education of a qualified workforce in the Canadian dairy industry. The WDI is composed of four key funding programs:

Scholarship Program: scholarships for graduate students in fields related to the dairy industry
Career Promotion Program: promotion of careers in the dairy industry
Education Program: creation of government-certified, full-time educational programs in order to train qualified staff to work in dairy plants
Continuing Education Program: opportunities for continuing education for current dairy plant and farm staff

Organizations eligible for funding include industry associations and learning institutions. The CDC will evaluate applications during the summer and funding will start in the fall.

Source : Government Dairy Commission

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.