Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has named the 25 young people chosen to sit on the inaugural Canadian Agricultural Youth Council. Members of the council (see list below) are expected to offer suggestions on government priorities and identify problems and solutions for Bibeau. “That was quite a challenge actually, because we received over 800 candidates,” Bibeau […] Read more
Agricultural Youth Council members introduced
Jobs for next generation also come online
Summer jobs program to pay entire wage
Reading Time: < 1 minute The federal government has made changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program for businesses with fewer than 50 employees delivering essential services. Businesses will have 100 per cent of their employees’ salaries covered by the federal government (up from the previous 50 per cent), and employees can be covered until February 2021. As well, the […] Read more
Alberta, Ontario open online portals for domestic ag work
Canadian senators call for support for domestic ag workers
The Alberta and Ontario governments hope to set up “land armies” of available domestic workers to deploy on their provinces’ farms, in the event that seasonal and temporary foreign workers are unavailable. Both provinces this week announced they have set up online portals where residents can connect with farmers in need of workers. Such jobs […] Read more
Workplace hotline now available for Alberta producers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta producers can now get immediate support if there’s a workplace safety incident on their farm or ranch. AgSafe Alberta, an industry-led collaboration of farm groups, has set up and will operate a hotline that farmers can call at any time. The number is 1-833-9AG-SAFE (1-833-924-7233). “This hotline is available 24-7, year round and all […] Read more
New provincial safety grant gives farm employers a ‘helping hand’
Grant can offset costs for meeting new workplace safety regulations, which come into effect Dec.1
Reading Time: 3 minutes A new provincial safety grant will make it easier — or at least cheaper — for farmers to comply with upcoming occupational health and safety requirements. “The province recognized that by putting those rules in place, many farms with employees were going to have to do some upgrading or some training to meet those new […] Read more
The jobs are waiting for ag program graduates
Enrolment has soared in the past decade — and so has the number of unfilled jobs in the agriculture sector
Reading Time: 5 minutes A career in agriculture just wasn’t an option for Julie Mitchell when she was growing up. Or at least that’s what she thought. “I was really passionate about agriculture, but I didn’t think you could have a career in ag beyond being a farmer,” said Mitchell, who grew up on a cattle operation in Manitoba. […] Read more
Online tools for reducing worker turnover
Calculator estimates costs of replacing employees while benchmarking tool allows for comparisons by sector or province
Reading Time: < 1 minute Did you know that the cost of replacing a single worker can be as much as 150 per cent of their annual salary? Do you know what your turnover costs are? ‘Turnover’ is the rate at which workers leave and are replaced on your farm, something that can have a major impact on productivity and […] Read more
Have your say on employment standards and labour relations regulations
Two reports — one for employment standards, one for labour relations — will be available for public comment until April 3
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta farmers have asked to have their say on proposed new workplace safety rules — and the provincial government says they will now have their chance. The NDP government is asking Albertans to give their views on two reports on proposed employment standards and labour relations recommendations. Feedback will be accepted until April 3 online, […] Read more
Looking for foreign workers? Express Entry program has 60,000 of them
The website has profiles of more than 60,000 foreign workers who qualify for permanent residency
Reading Time: 3 minutes In this day and age, finding skilled foreign workers is a little like Internet dating. “Jobbank.gc.ca is the best way to find foreign workers,” said Dean Jorgenson, employer liaison officer with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. “You’re given an opportunity to essentially fish from the Express Entry pool, as well as other job seekers who […] Read more
Green jobs eligible for wage subsidy
A new Career Focus Green Jobs program is offering wage subsidies to help employers with an environmental focus hire new graduates, a federal release says. The program targets small- and medium-sized businesses to help reduce the cost barriers of hiring new graduates by subsidizing their salary by 50 per cent to a maximum of $13,500 […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
