Ottawa, Ontario – Youth and young farmers are the future of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. The Government of Canada recognizes that their fresh ideas and approaches will help build a stronger, more innovative sector ready to meet the needs of tomorrow.
Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, delivered remarks at the Canadian Young Farmers’ Forum (CYFF) National Conference. She noted the opportunities for networking and collaboration in the future between the CYFF and the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council, whose 25 members from across the agriculture and agri-food sector help advise the Minister and the Department on policies and programs important to the council. The two groups share many priorities, and both are working to make progress on issues like succession planning, mental health, agricultural awareness and education, and environmental sustainability.
During the conference, Minister Bibeau also highlighted the nearly 1,000 agricultural jobs created through the Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP) during the 2020/2021 program year, significantly surpassing the 700 jobs originally expected. As announced in May 2020, the Government of Canada invested $9.2 million to help the agriculture industry attract Canadian youth, ages 15 to 30, to their organizations as the sector is facing labour shortages brought on by the pandemic. This program provides youth from across the country, particularly youth facing barriers to employment, with job experience in agriculture that could prepare them for their future careers.
The YESP is part of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS), which is the Government of Canada's commitment to help young people, particularly those facing barriers to employment, get the information and gain the skills, work experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition into the labour market.
Source : Government of Canada