This report provides a summary of regional discussions with industry and key stakeholders on meat processing sector specific recruitment, training, and retention challenges. It also identifies pathways to potential solutions that address key issues and challenges, and presents examples of where industry and other stakeholders are already testing similar solutions. ESDC in collaboration with Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC) organized four regional roundtables with attendance from industry, associations, unions, provincial governments, training organizations and federal government departments. This brief document outlines the main themes and discussion points from the roundtables held in Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal in September and October 2017.
The Path Forward Plan for the TFW Program and International Mobility Program announced on April 10, 2017 indicated the government’s intention to review several sectors, including meat processing, to better understand sector-specific recruitment challenges and to help to develop potential labour market strategies to attract and retain a domestic workforce.
FPSC representatives facilitated the discussions to focus on two main themes. One of the themes was “Supporting and building a sustainable workforce”, and included issues like recruitment, retention and training, and matching training with industry needs.
FPSC representatives facilitated the discussions to focus on two main themes., the second theme was “Promoting labour mobility and identifying other labour sources,” which included topics like TFW program and permanent residency, and accessing other labour sources.
