Pathways To Solutions Meat Processing

REPORT OVERVIEW

This report...

…provides a summary of regional discussions with industry and key stakeholders on sector-specific recruitment, training, and retention challenges

…identifies pathways to potential solutions that address key issues and challenges

…presents examples of where industry and other stakeholders are already testing similar solutions

Context for Discussions

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) Report from the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) was tabled in Parliament on September 19, 2016. The report contained 21 recommendations for improving the TFWP including recommendations targeted to adequately reflect the realities of labour market needs in Canada. Additional recommendations included setting a cap on the percentage of temporary foreign workers a business can employ, improving permanent residency pathways for temporary foreign workers and reviewing sector and geographic considerations further.

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

Under the Path Forward Plan, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is working closely with employers, unions, provincial/territorial governments and federal partners to:

Assess meat processing sector challenges with the TFWP, including those arising from the 2014 reforms;
Better understand sector-specific recruitment, training and retention challenges (e.g. specialized skills, remote locations, etc.) and sector-specific efforts made to attract, train and retain a domestic workforce, particularly as it relates to underrepresented groups;
Build synergy across government and industry employment, training and retention initiatives; and,
Develop a Collaborative Labour Market Action Plan for the meat processing industry that outlines ongoing private and public sector-wide efforts to attract, train and retain a domestic workforce.

Roundtables

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 day-long roundtables each followed a similar format. The day started with brief introductory presentations from ESDC, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and FPSC. Most of the day involved discussions in facilitated breakout sessions (tables of 8-10 participants), with subsequent reporting back to the entire group at various points throughout the day. The discussions were facilitated to focus on specific areas, themes and questions that aligned with the roundtable goals. The day closed with a Q&A session with ESDC and other government representatives. Notetakers and facilitators recorded key themes from the discussions throughout the day.

Discussion Themes

FPSC representatives facilitated the discussions to focus on two main themes: “Supporting and building a sustainable workforce” and “Promoting labour mobility and identifying other labour sources.” The groups responded to specific questions by having a brief discussion on the main issues and challenges affiliated with the themes. Most discussions then turned towards identifying possible pathways to solutions for the sector, providing examples of current initiatives that they were testing or planning to implement. As solutions are attempted, considerations for various stakeholders were also discussed.

THEME 1: SUPPORTING A SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE

Roundtable participants worked to identify not only issues and challenges in supporting and building a sustainable workforce, but also potential pathways to solutions. These pathways are highlighted systematically below for each of the sub-themes. Interestingly, many industry representatives and stakeholders already have experience attempting some of the initiatives below. These are detailed as examples of potential solution pathways found throughout the report.

Challenge: Recruitment, Retention and Training

Issue: Industry Image

Several issues were identified regarding the industry image and its negative impact on the recruitment and retention of workers. In general, jobs in the meat processing industry are assumed to be low skill and low pay, lacking appropriate compensation for the physical demands the job requires. The work environment is not thought to be ideal, given hot/cold temperature conditions, task repetitiveness, and the smells and blood associated with meat processing. These negative attributes have led to a stigma surrounding the industry.

These perceptions, however, do not reflect the full reality of meat processing plants. Individuals are not often aware of the variety and number of work opportunities available, the supportive working conditions, or many of the benefits offered including employment stability and competitive benefit packages. Moreover, the industry does not appear to effectively advertise these positive aspects of the work environment.

Roundtable participants also mentioned other challenges with the perception that the industry mistreats animals, which has resulted in strong activist opposition in some regions; with the perception that it is a male dominated industry; with the limited availability of career progression opportunities particularly in small organizations; with a disconnect between farm to fork; with educational programs that tend to ignore the sector; and with religious beliefs that limit the willingness of some potential recruits to work with certain products (e.g., pork). In the Montreal roundtable specifically, challenges associated with a diminishing population were also highlighted.

Roundtable participants discussed potential solution pathways focused on how to address the various challenges and issues identified with the industry’s image and how these solutions can either directly or indirectly impact on recruitment and retention. Overall, the comments and suggestions could be grouped into five pathways.

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY “PROMOTING A POSITIVE IMAGE”

Current perceptions of the industry do not reflect the full reality of meat processing plants, as individuals are not aware of the variety of work opportunities available, the working conditions, or many of the benefits offered, such as employment stability and competitive benefit packages. There is an opportunity for the industry to advertise the positive aspects of the work environment more effectively.

Issue: Industry Image

Idea 1: Emphasize The High-Level And Diversity Of Skills Required
Although there is a pervasive perception that this sector is a low skill industry, roundtable participants highlight that there is an opportunity to emphasize the high-level and diversity of skills required to do this work. There are a wide variety of jobs available in the industry that span a large spectrum of skills that often require balancing both physical and technical abilities and knowledge. Marketing strategies for the sector can portray employees as either athletes or artists that do hard, but good, work. Videos can be used to showcase the technicality of the work and the challenging tasks required at higher-level positions

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large Employer; multiple plants	To emphasize relation between increased pay and acquisition of increased skills	Job hunters and new hires	West

Actions/Activities	This large employer highlights the diversity in the positions available in their plant, as well as the increased level of skills required. The main tool they use is their hiring pamphlets that indicate: “pay increases with corresponding with jobs of increasing skill level and responsibility” and “an employee is promoted and trained for a knife-job with increased pay through a job posting process once seniority is achieved and a good work ethic is demonstrated. An employee will then learn increasingly technical knifework”
Outcomes/Impacts	This large employer highlights the diversity in the positions available in their plant, as well as the increased level of skills required. The main tool they use is their hiring pamphlets that indicate: “pay increases with corresponding with jobs of increasing skill level and responsibility” and “an employee is promoted and trained for a knife-job with increased pay through a job posting process once seniority is achieved and a good work ethic is demonstrated. An employee will then learn increasingly technical knifework”
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach would be suitable for an individual employer to integrate. Additional information from the FPSC is available to assist employers in conducting this type of analysis of their own company’s positions and pay structures through the use of the Skills Library and Raising the Standard products.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employer; single plant	To recognize the high-level of skills required for the various positions in the plant to assist with retention	Current employees	Ontario

Actions/Activities	This employer is currently undertaking work to further refine the gradation of skills assessment for many of their positions. With this refined gradation, they can more accurately reflect these in their salary structure.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated shorter-term outcomes of this initiative include: a more responsive pay structure aligned to actual skill level, greater transparency of pay structure for employees, increased understanding among employees as to which skills are emphasized and reflected in pay increases, greater understanding among employees as to how to progress in skill development and pay (career path). All of these are then expected to contribute to the longer-term outcome of better retention of employees.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach would be suitable for an individual employer to integrate. Additional information from the FPSC is available to assist employers in conducting this type of analysis of their own company’s positions and pay structures through the use of the Skills Library and Raising the Standard products. Additional information will also be available for some of these analyses from the FPSC Labour Market Information Study for the Meat Processing Industry.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employer; multiple sites	To emphasize the multiple skills required to be successful	Job hunters and new hires	Ontario

Actions/Activities	This employer is quite explicit in their hiring notices of the number of skills that are needed to be successful, including some of the softer skills. For example, skills sets that are mentioned in announcements include: communication skills, ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment, good manual dexterity, physical capabilities (e.g., lifting, standing, repetitive movements for long periods of time), ability to work independently or as part of a team, experience with food safety, willingness to receive training, and good attendance record.
Outcomes/Impacts	By being more explicit in outlining the diverse skill sets, the anticipated shorter-term outcomes include better understanding among applicants of what is required for the positions, and greater realization among applicants (and non-applicants) that the jobs in this sector (with this employer) are not one-track, “easy” jobs. The anticipated longer-term outcomes are that the appropriate candidates apply for the positions which will result in less screening and turnover, and hopefully result in better retention.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach would be suitable for an individual employer to integrate. Other stakeholders that would likely benefit from understanding the diversity of skills required would include those assisting individuals in searching for and obtaining employment (e.g., employment agencies, immigrant settlement organizations), and those coaching or instructing career exploration (e.g., career counsellors in schools/colleges). Additional information will also be available for some of these products/job ads from the Career Ladder developed as one component of the FPSC Labour Market Information Study for the Meat Processing Industry.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Multiple Employers	To counter some of the myths of working in meat processing	Job hunters and general public	Ontario, Quebec

Actions/Activities	Several producers showcase employee testimonials on video on their websites where the team spirit, environment and cleanliness, as well as employee benefits are highlighted. In addition, there are often sections in the video that highlight company values.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes are to counter some of the common myths and misunderstanding about working in the meat processing sector. By countering the misconceptions, it is anticipated that the longer-term outcomes would be greater numbers of applicants from job hunters and improved understanding of the meat-processing industry among the general public (e.g., education settings, career exploration).
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach is likely appropriate for some of the larger employers who have resources to develop professional videos. Other stakeholders that have and could further become involved in developing videos that assist in eliminating some of the myths about working in the meat-processing industry could include meat-processing associations along with the ongoing work by the FPSC.

Issue: Industry Image

Idea 2: Promote Benefits Associated With The Industry
To counteract the negative image of the industry, the reality of the work involved should be balanced with the benefits offered to employees. Learning how other sectors with challenging working condition (e.g., Canadian Forces, construction, oil and gas, farming and welding) are marketed can help determine if there are lessons that can be learned for the meat industry. It was recommended to borrow marketing and branding approaches from these sectors where the idea of hard work is highlighted with, for example, a photo of an oil covered rig worker, a dusty farmer or a welder with tools. While there are certainly challenges with the working environment (e.g., temperature, blood, noise, smells, task repetition), there are also many positive aspects that can be emphasized such as the complex and diverse skills required (e.g., speed, accuracy, athletic and technical excellence), the access to predictable working schedules (contributing to a home-work balance) and the supportive work environment (e.g., team work). Furthermore, companies offer support to help individuals succeed (e.g., training, health and safety teams). These can be tough jobs, but they are also jobs of achievement that make a direct contribution to the Canadian economy as part of an important sector.
There is also an opportunity to consider changes to the terms and vocabulary used on the job; for instance, from “kill floor” to “harvest floor”, from “slaughterhouse” to “meat processing facility” and to provide more specific job titles instead of simply “general labour”.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large processor; multiple plants	To improve the image of the work environment	Current employees, new hires, job hunters, general public	Ontario

Actions/Activities	One processor has systematically changed the vocabulary used referring to their establishment (“harvest” rather than “kill” or “slaughter”) and the various divisions within their plant. There is a conscious effort to ensure this vocabulary change is consistently used.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes of consistently changing vocabulary to describe the workplace and tasks is to change perceptions to more accurately reflect the purpose of the various tasks. The anticipated longer-term impacts are to change the general public’s perceptions of the facilities and job opportunities available in meat processing.
Potential stakeholder involvement	Vocabulary change can be implemented by individual employers in addition to many other stakeholders in the industry such as training institutions, employment agencies and associations.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large processor	To teach new hires how to perform physically	New hires	West

Actions/Activities	During the orientation process, this employer ensures that new entrants understand that this is an environment where they can physically test themselves with support from their team. New entrants are followed up from both a performance and physical perspective on a daily basis, in much the same way an athlete is coached during particularly strenuous training.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes of this intensive training and support is to prevent injury and to increase the new hires knowledge of how to care for their body. The anticipated longer-term outcome is less discomfort for employees, rapid assessments of physical issues and corrections, and ultimately better retention rates.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This type of approach could be implemented by individual employers, however, smaller employers may need assistance in preparing and/or adapting the tools and knowledge for this type of close monitoring and coaching of new hires.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Various employers	To provide employees that they are members of a team doing challenging work	Current employees	All regions

Actions/Activities	Some employers have attempted to instill a “team” approach to many of the tasks or lines to promote a sense of belonging, increase productivity, and assist with training needs. The make-up of teams tends to differ across plants according to size of team, products, and purpose. This sense of feeling part of something bigger and working towards a common goal within the team is characteristic of many highly physical jobs (e.g., firefighting, mining, athletics).
Outcomes/Impacts	The short-term outcomes anticipated for team development include increasing employees’ attachment to the workplace, and sense of belonging. These are anticipated to lead to longer term outcomes of greater productivity, lower turnover rates and lower absenteeism.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be adapted by individual employers. The development of teams can be challenging as they have to be meaningful units that have a common purpose that is easily measurable and has tangible products. While many employers appear to be adopting this type of approach, very few were able to directly attribute the desired outcomes achieved to this approach – the sector may benefit from a few studies of where this is happening to ensure what team structures are most effective in the various types of environments in meat processing (e.g., line teams, improvement teams, multi-level teams, etc.).

Issue: Industry Image

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Small and medium employer	To integrate the meat processing step into the food production continuum	Consumers, general public, job hunters	Atlantic and West

Actions/Activities	An employer collaborates with numerous other organizations in the community and region to highlight the processor’s contribution to the farm to table spectrum. For example, the employer participates in the organization of culinary masterclasses, highlights their collaboration with master chefs, is an active participant in food festivals, and works with restaurants to highlight the use of their products on menus. Another employer highlights on their website their role in the continuum of food production, with a video that showcases their products, links to recipes using their products, and their commitment to work with local farmers.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes of these actions is to improve brand recognition and current sales. The longer-term outcomes include consumers and the general public making positive associations between the meat processor and the provision of quality ingredients and local production within the food continuum.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be integrated by individual employers, particularly those with specialty lines and direct connections with other stakeholders in the food industry (e.g., chefs, retailers, restaurants).

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Many employers	To position products within the food continuum by providing “next steps” for preparation	Consumers	Various

Actions/Activities	Developing and distributing recipes for products is a common approach to integrating the meat processing products into the farm to table continuum. These are distributed differently according to the various products ranging from placement on product packaging, social media, websites and pamphlets.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes are increased product recognition and sales. Anticipated longer-term outcomes could be that the meat processing product is viewed as a key component of food preparation at the consumer level.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach is currently used by many employers as a marketing method. Very few were able to comment on how effective it is from either a marketing position of increased sales or in changing the image of the industry. There may be opportunities to evaluate these types of approaches and possible partnering opportunities that are innovative and effective in linking meat processing to food preparation potentially through educational opportunities (e.g., school tours from farm to kitchen including stops at meat processing plants; “reverse” videos that follow the food chain from plate back to the farm, etc.) or marketing efforts.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employers	To demonstrate the extensive involvement in various stages of the food production continuum	Consumers	West and Ontario

Actions/Activities	A few companies have grown their businesses to include the farm components through to the meat processing facilities. These companies emphasize that they are responsible for the care and growth of the animal through to transport, harvest and processing.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcome of this approach is to increase consumer awareness of the extensive involvement of companies with multiple stages of the food production continuum. The anticipated longer-term outcomes are consumer association with care and quality combined with local sourcing.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach may not be applicable for many individual employers, they may be able to adapt it by consistently integrating their place in the food continuum in marketing materials. Where are the animals grown, what care has gone into their health and well-being, how are they transported, etc.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employers	To raise awareness of role in global food system	Consumers, current employees, new hires and job hunters	West

Actions/Activities	Three large companies outlined how they attempt to raise awareness in their marketing campaigns of their role in the global food system. Much of the information focuses on the extent that Canada is contributing to feeding the world, and highlights connections and links made between farmers, markets and consumers.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated shorter-term impacts of this approach would be to raise awareness among various groups of the key role that these companies and Canada more generally plays in exporting food to other countries. The longer-term impacts could include aspects such as increased consideration by job hunters in considering the sector, increased levels of pride and commitment from current employees and new hires in the roles they play in the sector, and possibly increased levels of retention and labour supply for the industry.
Potential stakeholder involvement	To make this type of approach work effectively, it likely requires extensive input from various partners and stakeholders including companies that export product, associations, governments and educational institutions. Interesting marketing and educational tools could be developed that demonstrate the extent to which Canadian exports in the meat processing industry are world-wide (e.g., following from a hog farm in Manitoba through to a Tokyo restaurant; a beef farm in Alberta through to a family in China, etc.)

Issue: Industry Image

Idea 4: Emphasize Rural Communities And Engagement
Regarding the supposed drawbacks associated with living in a small or rural town, there is an opportunity to emphasize to potential recruits the community and the potential social and economic benefits from living in such locations. For instance, residing in these communities may:
- facilitate access to home ownership,
- provide a sense of community engagement,
- offer many local services and supports and
- present the opportunity for children to attend small schools and strengthen cultural ties.
Marketing the industry’s community partnership and community engagement will help to demonstrate the importance of the industry as a whole, the value that these individual companies place on the holistic wellbeing of the worker and their objective in being an employer of choice. Some companies working in smaller towns are choosing to emphasize community and are strongly marketing the rural location of the plant as a positive factor. These marketing strategies highlight the various immigration services and supports available, the high level of community corporate engagement, schools and education opportunities, employment opportunities for family members, health services, faith communities and the positives of living in vibrant, growing, small communities where home ownership is a possibility.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Various employers	To become engaged with community and make local contributions	General public, current employees, new hires, job hunters	All

Actions/Activities	In addition to the more traditional community engagement techniques (e.g., supporting a ball team, donating to a local festival), companies are also finding innovative ways to contribute and “give back” to communities, many of which do not require extensive resources. Examples included: supporting school studies by donating specimens from the animals processed; provides meat donations to a local shelter and food bank; and financially supporting local immigrant serving organizations.
Outcomes/Impacts	The short-term impacts of this type of approach are to provide benefits targeted to those using the services (e.g., students, immigrants, homeless). The anticipated longer-term impacts would be to increase the awareness of various groups (e.g., general public, job hunters) of the presence and active participation of companies in making contributions to their communities in unique ways. Ultimately, this could increase the available labour supply and willingness of job hunters to consider opportunities available at participating companies.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be integrated by individual employers. The more creative and innovative types of engagement need to be done in partnership with community groups and associations. As noted in these examples, engagement does not necessarily mean only $$ donations. Effective engagement may be less about $$ and more about the types of assistance or involvement that the company is able to provide which is most meaningful. This can be done in both small and large communities.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employers	To assist in community development	Current employees, new hires, job hunters	West

Actions/Activities	Two companies described how they have taken an overall community development approach to their engagement activities working actively with municipal government, schools, police, financial institutions, recreation facilities, faith groups and social programs to work towards ensuring that the community has the supports required to assist newcomers and new recruits, and to be a desirable community for relocation for their employees. The “community” then becomes one of their main recruitment tools.
Outcomes/Impacts	The short-term outcomes of this approach has been the growth in community capacity to welcome and accommodate new residents from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds with varying needs. The longer-term outcome has been an increase in permanent labour supply. The two examples provided are evidence that it can work with the appropriate supports, program and policies from multiple levels including provincial and federal governments.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach is a longer-term initiative with considerable investment of time and resources to accomplish. It is based on partnerships at the local level, and requires ongoing support and involvement from multiple parties.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employers	To provide information on the standards of living in small communities	Job hunters	West and Quebec

Actions/Activities	Companies highlight on their websites the benefits of living in their regions, such as affordable cost of living, easy access to home ownership, a healthy and safe environment, and a year-round pleasant lifestyle in family-friendly surroundings. Meat processing companies located in rural communities tend to be large employers, and thus major economic engines. The success of these businesses and the prosperity of the surrounding communities are inextricably linked. In a recent letter campaign to three federal Canadian ministers (Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship; Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, and; Agriculture and Agri-Food), rural mayors emphasized the importance of options for rural immigration to helping “our Canadian rural communities and business to grow and revitalize.” Some benefits of immigration to rural communities include: increase in population growth and birth rates; decrease in median age; new housing construction; and new immigrant-owned businesses established.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes are to increase awareness among job hunters, particularly those in urban settings with families, the opportunities that relocating to a rural or small-town setting can provide. The anticipated longer-term outcomes are an increased number of new hires relocating to the communities, and eventually community growth.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach benefits from involvement from both the company and the community at various levels. Marketing a community is often on the agenda of most municipalities so co-marketing may be advantageous to everyone.

Issue: Industry Image

Idea 5: Target Promotion According To Life Stages And Population Segments
Roundtable participants highlighted how consideration should be given to various life stages and population segments when targeting promotion of the sector. It is important not to assume that there is a one-size-fits-all approach for industry promotion given that each target group or segment is looking for different things at different times.

Suggested specific approaches to implementing this pathway included:
- Develop specific approaches according to the target audience (e.g., target Millennial and youth through social media channels).
- Consider creating an ongoing online presence for the sector that can inform and recruit potential employees (e.g., http://farm-recruitment.com/en/).
- Design materials about the industry, career opportunities, food production in Canada, etc., that can be considered for educational curricula for schools at various levels. For instance, identify the meat industry as a potential career path in high school.
- Leverage current employees to participate in recruitment efforts. For example, focus specialized recruitment efforts on family members of those currently working in the industry; allow workers to bring family members currently in high school or post-secondary education to the plants during school breaks; or offer a bonus to current workers who recommend a potential recruit who is hired.
- Provide tours of the plants in person or virtually and offer open house programs.
- Continue to network with postsecondary institutions, professional associations, immigrant support organizations, and community organizations to attract new workers. For instance, offer co-op opportunities to students or use these networks to disseminate marketing materials such as recruitment videos.
- Continue to participate in job fairs and other recruiting campaigns.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Various employers	To increase the number of new hires	Job hunters	All

Actions/Activities	Recruitment efforts are constant and pervasive across the industry. Several companies across the country report using traditional recruitment tools such as newspapers, job banks, job fairs, websites, and social media. These tend to be relatively “passive” approaches where the employer posts an ad and waits for applicants.
Outcomes/Impacts	The short-term outcomes anticipated with these techniques are increased awareness among job hunters of opportunities available at these companies, and increased number of applicants. Longer-term outcomes include increased number of new hires, and hopefully increased levels of retention.
Potential stakeholder involvement	The overall assessment by employers of these traditional methods of recruitment appear to be that while they are necessary, they are often not sufficient. Challenges include having to screen large numbers of applicants to find potential new hires, not having sufficient detail in ads for job hunters to understand the industry and occupations, and not necessarily the best methods of connecting to job hunters who would be the best candidates for their positions.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Various employers	To increase the number of new hires	Job hunters, career explorers	All

Actions/Activities	In addition to the more traditional, passive approaches to recruitment, many employers report taking a more active role in making connections and building partnerships with various community organizations and associations to assist with their recruitment. Often these are more targeted approaches focusing on specific life stages (youth, older workers) or specific population segments (immigrants, people re-entering labour market). Activities include careers and occupations fairs, hosting industrial visits, and participating in employment conferences. This often involves maintaining partnerships with local employment centers, and employment assistance services, and schools.
Outcomes/Impacts	Short-term outcomes include increased awareness of job and career opportunities among job hunters and those exploring career options. Longer-term outcomes include increase number of applicants, and increase in new hires.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach requires involvement from companies along with various local community agencies and associations.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Various employers	To increase the number of referrals of candidates from current employees	Current employees	All

Actions/Activities	Targeting the networks and connections of current employees for referrals is being undertaken by several companies. Current employees who refer their friends, family or acquaintances for hire are provided with various bonus schemes depending on length of tenure. For example, one employer offers the referring employee a bonus if the referral stays for three months, and then a second bonus is available if they stay for one year. In another, $600 is paid to the referring employee divided into three $200 payments every quarter. In a third large employer, those employees who contribute to recruitment receive a bonus payment for presenting a candidate ($250) with another bonus provided after one-year employment (additional $250). Approximately 35% of new employees are hired using this recruitment strategy at this company.
Outcomes/Impacts	Short-term outcomes include increasing the number of new hires, and increasing employee satisfaction. Anticipated longer-term outcomes include increases in retention rates (employees are most likely to refer those candidates for whom they figure have a good fit with the environment), along with potentially decreases in recruitment resources given that this approach is deemed to be quite cost-effective for many employers compared to investments in more traditional recruitment methods.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach requires involvement from companies along with various local community agencies and associations.

Challenge: Recruitment, Retention and Training

Issue: Career Opportunities

There is increased competition from other industries and sectors (e.g., oil in the West, retail, and the service industry in all regions), which makes it increasingly difficult for the meat processing industry to recruit workers. For instance, according to roundtable participants, wages in the service industry exceed wages in the meat processing industry in several regions. This issue is exacerbated when some population segments, such as Millennials, expect a career and promotions straightaway Meat processing industry jobs are often assumed to be short-term, temporary and with no consideration given to benefit packages. There is also an assumption that there will be only limited wage increases after a certain level of seniority is attained.

Once an individual joins this industry, there are no clearly defined career paths. Given that no certification or essential skills have been identified, and that positions are assumed to be low skill, potential recruits often feel that they will be limited to one occupation or skill area, with few opportunities for cross training. In that regard, this concern is also coupled with the assumption that there will be no opportunities for mentorship or coaching conducive to career advancement.

The proposed solutions for addressing these career opportunity misconceptions focus on promoting job stability and developing a national certification system that would positively impact the industry’s image across population segments, stakeholders and partner organizations.

Roundtable participants discussed potential solutions focused on solutions to issues promoting industry career opportunities and how these solutions can impact on recruitment and retention, either directly or indirectly. Overall, the comments and suggestions can be grouped into three pathways.

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY “MORE THAN JUST A JOB”

It is key to emphasize that working in the sector is more than just a job, it can be a career. Recommendations include creating and developing career paths within companies. Displaying career ladders can also increase awareness of future possibilities among workers. For instance, real examples of individuals that have worked from the lower skill jobs on the floor up to higher skilled or management positions in the industry can be highlighted.

Issue: Career Opportunities

Idea 1: Emphasize That Working In The Sector Is More Than “Just A Job“
It is key to emphasize that working in the sector is more than just a job, it can be a career. For this purpose career paths within companies should be developed so that more skilled positions and management positions are hired internally. Several companies in the Montreal roundtables indicated that hiring from “the floor” is common practice but, as highlighted in the other roundtables, there is likely an opportunity to create and display career ladders to increase awareness of future possibilities among workers. For the hiring from “the floor” approach to become routine, companies would have to provide support and resources for re-training and education, opportunities for assessment and coaching and mentorship for employees. These efforts, could place greater pressure on smaller plants who would need to be creative with their career development strategies that smaller plants have limited opportunities for career progression compared to larger companies.
In addition to offering advancement and training opportunities, developing and promoting potential career paths within the industry is required. For instance, companies could highlight real examples of individuals that have worked from the lower skill jobs on the floor into higher skilled or management positions in the industry. On the other hand, it is necessary to balance the expectations of following a career path with the reality that only a small percentage of those in floor occupations will rise to lead hands, supervisors, and higher management positions. This can be balanced in part by understanding the progression of knife skills, speed and accuracy that is required as people are promoted to higher skilled meat cutters.
Efforts to increase awareness of the sector’s job stability would help attract potential workers who might be exploring career opportunities across sectors, particularly those who have experienced employment in less stable industries (oil/gas, retail, manufacturing).
The industry might also be called to re-evaluate their expectations regarding employment duration to reconsider a shorter time frame for employees (e.g., two years vs ten years). Although there are still many instances in the sector’s current workforce of extended employment tenures (e.g., 15-20 years), the duration of employment with one employer or within a specific sector is likely to be considerably shorter following the trends observed in other industries that are starting to impact the meat processing sector. Adjusting expectations could potentially help companies capitalize on the rapid changes between sectors and jobs observed for big segments of the Canadian workforce. The meat processing industry could direct recruitment efforts to other sectors and industries whereas, on the other hand, this strategy may require different approaches for recruitment, training, and retention than currently in common use.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employer	To increase employee skill levels and increase employee engagement	Current employees, new hires	West

Actions/Activities	This employer offers job rotation, cross-training and lateral moves to develop their employees. The job rotation and cross-training allow employees to experience one or more different positions where they can pick up new skills. Lateral moves allow employees who are eager to have a new challenge the chance to learn new skills in a position with similar status but without the extra responsibility.
Outcomes/Impacts	Shorter-term outcomes include increased levels and diversity of skill levels of employees. Longer-term outcomes for employees include greater engagement in the workplace, increased understanding of work opportunities at the company, increased employee satisfaction, and increased levels of retention.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be implemented by individual employers. The cross-training and lateral movement could potentially be supplemented by additional training in food-processing more generally through the introduction of on-line courses where appropriate from sources such as the FPSC.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Various employers	To provide opportunities for employees to move into management positions	Current employees, new hires, job hunters	West, Ontario, Quebec

Actions/Activities	Various companies indicated the importance they place on moving employees up through the company into leadership and management positions. Two large companies indicated that 80% of their supervisors are hired from the floor. Another company identifies its trainers from the line workers and then provides additional training specific to the training role. Similarly, two other companies reported that it had a tailored program where production employees are encouraged to improve skills and follow clearly laid-out career paths with some becoming part of the management team.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes are greater awareness among current employees, new hires and job hunters of the potential management opportunities for production workers in these companies. The longer-term outcomes include increased levels of retention, increased number of promotions among current employees, and potentially increased number of new hires who are attracted by the opportunities for progression to management.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This is an approach that could be integrated by individual employers. The companies highlighted in these examples make promotion to management as an explicit career path open to employees to consider based on skills and performance. This type of progression may require additional resources for some companies to clearly define the skills and credentials required for the various positions for which the FPSC skills library and occupational standards work may be useful materials.

Issue: Career Opportunities

Idea 2: Engage Further With The Education Sector
Currently, there is limited industry engagement with the education sector at various levels (from secondary to post-secondary). These might be pools to reach out to individuals considering careers, short-term employment (e.g., summer jobs while studying), and training choices. Further engagement with the education sector would provide an opportunity for potential recruits to access information on the industry in settings other than periodic job-fairs, which seem to have limited impact. Other forms of engagement should be considered, developed and piloted as well. There is also a need to provide training through various channels and approaches (e.g., traditional classroom instruction combined with online training, on-site training, in-house training supported by educational facilities, among others).

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Post-secondary educational institutions	To increase the opportunities for training in industrial food processing settings	Students, job hunters	West, Ontario

Actions/Activities	There are meat cutting programs offered in the college system, however most of these are geared towards retail meat processing rather than meat cutting in industrial settings where the skills and pace are somewhat different (although many processors indicated that they would appreciate getting graduates from retail programs as well). • NAIT (Alberta) offers a 15-week Professional Meat Cutting and Merchandising program and a Retail Meat Processing Program • SAIT (Alberta) offers a one-year Butchery and Charcuterie Management program; and NAIT offer a Retail Meat Processing Program • Olds College (Alberta) developed a Meat Processing 15-week certificate • Thomson Rivers University (BC) offers a nine-month Meat Cutter program under Culinary Arts. Saskatchewan Polytechnic offers an applied certificate Retail Meat Specialist. • Fanshawe College (Ontario) offers a Retail Meat Cutter Pre-Apprentice that consists of 18 weeks of training plus a two-week placement at the end. The program is a free training program for vulnerable or unemployed populations. The apprenticeship program recently graduated 14 students with a 100% placement rate • Conestoga College (Ontario) offers several food processing programs, including a 300-hour part-time Food Processing Supervisor certificate that allows graduates to effectively conduct supervisory activities in a food processing environment and a 180-hour part-time Food Processing Operations certificate that provides students with practical knowledge and experience in food processing methods (e.g. pasteurization, filling and packaging), equipment adjustment and sanitation, and troubleshooting a complete production line. It also offers butchery courses on a continuing education model (Butchery Basics, and courses specific to beef and poultry)
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes for meat cutting training focused on industrial settings would be a greater number of potential candidates for the various companies. Longer-term outcomes would include increased new hires and potentially higher retention rates given the training that has occurred and knowledge of the industry.
Potential stakeholder involvement	Establishing PSE programs that will fulfill the needs of industry and meet requirements of PS programming will require partnerships between various levels including industry, provincial governments, associations and groups like the FPSC involved in developing occupational standards and possible certification programs.

Issue: Career Opportunities

Idea 3: Establish A National Certification System
Having a national certification system would signal to those considering careers and actively undertaking career exploration that there are skilled opportunities in the sector. National certification would allow for the movement of skilled employees across plants, regions and provinces. Although increased mobility may present some challenges for the industry, it is also a chance for workers to recognize that it is a career in an industry and not just a job.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Food Processing Skills Canada	To develop a national certification system for the Canada’s meat processing industry	Current employees, new hires, job hunters, career explorers	All

Actions/Activities	Building on the work undertaken for the food processing sector through the development of an extensive skills library and the occupational standards for various roles in the food processing industry, the next step would be to continue with the development of a national certification system for Canada’s meat processing industry. This has already been completed in other countries.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated shorter-term outcomes would include increased awareness of the occupational requirements for various roles in the meat processing industry. This would potentially lead to increased numbers of career explorers and job hunters considering employment opportunities in the industry, increased development of training programs, increased standardization of training programs and graduate skill sets, increased professionalization of many roles within the meat processing industry.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This is a large undertaking requiring the involvement and engagement from many different stakeholders including FPSC, industry, education institutions, provincial governments, and federal government.

Challenge: Recruitment, Retention and Training

Issue: Wages, Benefits and Incentives

Issues regarding wages and benefit structures are multidimensional and include considerations of comparative compensation within the meat processing industry and in relation to the compensation offered in other industries. There are also issues regarding the compensation expectations of potential recruits. Being an industry that is often unionized, top wages in a given position can be reached quite quickly and can result in many workers lacking wage progression. While there were many examples where unions and companies were working together to address recruitment and retention, the nature of the unionized environment can also result in challenges when trying to rapidly adjust wage and incentive policies. In some regions it is challenging to compete with the wages that are offered in other industries (e.g., oil and gas sector in the West). There is also a concern that rising minimum wages will have a negative impact on the attractiveness of wage rates in the meat processing sector.

Benefit packages offered in this sector are often attractive but not very well known. In fact, these benefits are not often considered when calculating the wages for the industry, even though compensation packages can be quite costly. Despite this being a positive aspect of compensation in the industry, there can be discrepancies in the compensation packages offered by small plants compared to larger plants. Potential youth recruits and Millennials may not be as interested in benefit packages as they are with wages.

Although wages are an important factor, the industry recognizes that these alone cannot solve the issues in the recruitment and retention of workers. Many of the suggested solutions presented below echo and build upon these pathways presented under Career Opportunities and Industry Image.

Roundtable participants discussed the various challenges and issues identified with the wages, benefits and incentives within the industry and how solution pathways can impact industry recruitment and retention. Overall, the comments and suggestions can be grouped into two pathways, “Build on existing benefit packages” and “Emphasize and market benefit packages available.”

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY “MOVING BEYOND WAGES”

The industry offers significant incentives and benefit packages that are often overlooked or not considered by job seekers when making career choices.

Although wages are an important factor, the industry recognizes that these alone cannot solve the issues observed in the recruitment and retention of workers.

Issue: Wages, Benefits and Incentives

Idea 1: Build On Existing Benefit Packages And Offer Creative And Diversified Incentives And Benefits
It is possible to build on existing benefit packages to include creative and diversified incentives and benefits that target different population groups or that help differentiate smaller plants. For example, what might be an incentive for a parent with a young family of newcomers might be quite different from the perspective of a single high-school graduate exploring careers. Smaller plants may have to develop and offer creative incentives to offset potential wage discrepancies (e.g. free meals, transportation, bonuses). Incentives that have been tested by some companies include referral bonuses for employees, on- site ESL classes, 24-7 medical/health team, attendance bonuses, retention bonuses (after three to six months) for employees and for supervisors, onsite gym facilities or discounted access to community gym, cafeteria facilities, child care on site, transportation, training opportunities and routine feedback from staff regarding existing policies. Some of these have been more successful than others depending on the target audience, location, and the needs of workers.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Various employers	To provide current employees with benefits and incentives	Current employees, new hires, job hunters	All

Actions/Activities	Many companies have implemented varied incentives. Some examples include: providing transportation; retention bonuses; workplace cafeterias; gym facilities; scholarships for family members; social activities for employees and family members; and service and performance recognition (individual and team).
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes include higher levels of employee satisfaction, increased number of new hires, and higher levels of employee engagement. These are then expected to contribute to longer-term outcomes of higher levels of retention.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach can be implemented by individual employers. Of importance to note is that many employers indicated that to make these types of incentives and bonuses effective, they have to be tailored to what is important for the employees, and should be sufficiently diverse that they cover various groups and types of employees.

Issue: Wages, Benefits and Incentives

Idea 2: Emphasize Positive Aspects Of Benefit Packages In Marketing Initiatives
There was consensus among the roundtable participants that the benefit packages available in the industry are not often well known or understood by potential job seekers. While benefits do range considerably according to employer size, region and location, overall there are some significant packages that are being offered. For example, some plants offer health benefits, family days, and contributions to retirement plans.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employers	To increase the awareness of benefits associated with various opportunities in the sector	Job hunters, career explorers	West, Ontario, Quebec

Actions/Activities	Many employers pointed to a lack of recognition among potential employees of the current benefit packages available in some of the larger companies, which can be somewhat more generous than many of the competing sectors for entry level employees (e.g., retail, service industry). Some examples of benefit packages include: competitive wages with guaranteed hours; comprehensive benefits after 6 months of continuous service; paid vacation days; health and dental benefits, short-term and long-term disability benefits, life insurance, company pension plans, optional RRSP plans; as well as a health spending account for salaried employees. relocation assistance, extended health/medical benefits, group life & accidental death insurance, long term disability, vision/dental care, employee beef purchasing program, voluntary employee RRSP contributions, employer RRSP contributions, subsidized bus transport, and medical clinic on-site a comprehensive benefits package which includes life insurance for the employee and dependents, short-term disability, health care (e.g., eye care, hearing, chiropractor, physiotherapy), dental care, and pension contribution matching. benefits that represent 30% in addition to wages and include a stable day work from Monday to Friday; health, drug insurance and dental insurance, as well as an employee and family support services
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated shorter-term outcomes of this approach would include increased awareness of the benefits that could be obtained potentially from working in the industry. Longer-term outcomes could include increased numbers of new hires, and increased retention rates.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This is an approach that could be adapted by individual employers. It was noted in the roundtable discussions that traditional benefit packages are generally attractive to certain population segments (e.g., people with young families, immigrants, older workers) and less advantageous when recruiting others (e.g., youth) which often require more innovative forms of benefits to be attracted.

Challenge: Matching Training with Industry Needs

Some of the main skills-related issues identified were the lack of job-readiness among new employees, the employee’s limited ability to cope with the physical demands of the job, the lack of external training programs that meet the needs of the industry and, in the case of newcomers to Canada, gaps in language skills that create barriers between trainers, managers, co-workers and employees. Language skills could also result in issues with health and safety and could increase a worker’s lack of mobility within the labour market.

Solution pathways for skills development and training needs focused on addressing the challenges and issues associated with current training and skills development programming and the actual needs of industry. Overall, the comments and suggestions could be grouped into five pathways.

Matching Training with Industry Needs

Idea 1: Promote Approaches For Skills Assessment And Development
Approaches to technical and physical skills assessment vary considerably across employers. In some cases, required skills must be appropriately demonstrated (e.g., when hiring TFWs) while other companies take a probationary approach to employment. Employers have tried different strategies that have had some success, such as:
- ensuring line/operation supervisors are included in the interview process,
- assessing skills early in the employment period and accommodating jobs that fit with or are slightly below a worker’s technical levels while they adjust to the physical work environment (e.g., repetitive movement, heat/cold, noise, large groups),
- using the first segment of training as an ongoing assessment period,
- setting standards and requirements for each job, and
- pairing new workers with experienced employees (i.e., buddy system).

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Food Processing Skills Canada	To prepare pre-arrival clients for careers in the food and beverage processing industry	Newcomers, immigrants, job hunters	All

Actions/Activities	The Pre-Arrival Food Safety Management Training program (PAFSMT) offered by FPSC provides an opportunity to close the skills gap of newcomers to Canada. This is a free online food safety training curriculum, designed to prepare pre-arrival clients for viable careers in the Canadian food and beverage processing industry. The educational programming will address Canadian cultural norms, employability and the workplace environment, as well as basic and advanced level food safety practices, rules and regulations. The program delivers 21 courses divided into 3 progressive levels. Upon successful completion, newcomers can leave their home countries with 12 Canadian-recognized certificates and formal skills transcripts.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes include increased preparedness of new arrivals to Canada to participate in labour market. Longer-term outcomes include increased new hires of new arrivals to Canada in the food and beverage industry, increased labour supply for industry, decreased time between arrival and employment, increased rates of settlement and integration into Canadian labour market.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This program is currently being implemented by the FPSC in conjunction with industry and government partners.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employers	To assess new hires skills and align with training needs	New hires	West, Ontario

Actions/Activities	Many of the meat processing firms have an extended probationary period (often months in duration) during which employees are undergoing structured skill assessments and attempts to find the most appropriate fit for their aptitudes and skills. This process is also used to align new hires with on-site training opportunities.
Outcomes/Impacts	The short-term outcomes of this approach are to increase the understanding of new hires’ particular areas of strength and challenge areas. This will contribute to the longer-term outcomes of improved fit between employee and job, improved alignment between training and skill gaps, and ultimately better retention, improved job performance and greater productivity.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be implemented by individual employers. Many of the employers using this approach have developed objective skill assessments, checklists and various other tools. Depending on the diversity across plants, this may be an area that an association could develop tools for and then distribute among the smaller and medium size employers which may not have the resources to develop internally. Similarly, the training could be a combination of internal and external training resources to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Matching Training with Industry Needs

Idea 2: Support The Acquisition Of Language Skills

Language skills present a challenge for some employers, particularly those working with newcomers and TFWs; however, there are successful approaches that are being implemented to address these issues. These include pre-screening language abilities prior to acceptance as a TFW, hiring TFWs from countries where English skills are usually quite good and offering ESL training either on-site at the plant or possibly in the country of origin prior to arrival in Canada. Also, within plants, there is a considerable effort put forward to align interpreters (either coworkers or community interpreters) with those who require translation, while some companies even offer training in several languages. Some companies have emphasized training using physical demonstrations and videos so that written and verbal language barriers are not as crucial in understanding the training processes.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employers	To improve the language skills of employees	Current employees, job hunters	West, Ontario

Actions/Activities	Some companies contribute to language skill development, offering ESL classes for employees. For example, one company has a certified English teacher onsite and offers courses free of charge to their employees. Another company works closely with community resources to provide ESL language classes. Another example includes a company that offers English lessons to all workers, regardless of their immigration status. Classes are provided at union training centres at costs shared between the union and the company. An additional example includes programs supported by food associations, such as training to develop language skills of newcomers offered by Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society in collaboration with the Alberta Foods Processors Association and the Lethbridge Public Library.
Outcomes/Impacts	The short-term outcomes of language training according to employers are improved job performance and greater ease of employee supervision. Longer-term outcomes include increased levels of promotion, greater retention levels, and increased numbers of permanent staff (as language skills are often a requirement for permanent residency).
Potential stakeholder involvement	Most employers involved in language instruction indicate some sort of partnership with community organizations such as educational institutions and/or immigrant settlement organizations.

Matching Training with Industry Needs

Idea 3: Continue Development Of Internal And On-Site Training Programs

An important part of the training for positions in meat processing is currently conducted on-site using internal training programs. Given the call for standards and national certification, it is possible that training may shift so that at least some of if is completed outside meat processing plants, either at education facilities, online, or through other platforms. Nonetheless, even with increased standardization and certification, there will always be a strong need for internal and on-site training programs to match skills with the facility’s specific needs according to their lines of production and their processes. In that regard, there was discussion regarding what types of training could be developed and collectively delivered to support both internal training needs and the need to develop process manuals.
Providing training online can be less challenging than organizing training off-site, as the latter requires dealing with logistic or operational considerations such as replacing workers on the line or offering transportation to off-site training. Online training can often be included pre or post shift, similar to ESL training programs. In addition, training should be holistic and include technical skills (e.g., knife skills), physical preparation training (e.g., getting the body adapted to physical work; stretching programs, OT, ergonomics) and soft skills (e.g., communication, problem solving). Some companies have had success with trainers that work consistently with trainees on each line in full-time trainer positions. Another idea to consider is matching training and salary so individuals are enticed to complete additional training programs.
Another theme that was addressed in meetings was the important role that supervisors and lead hands play in supporting workers and ensuring that the culture of the company is maintained which in turn supports efforts in retention. Some companies indicated that they are putting more effort into training and developing those in supervisory positions to better support HR principles on the floor.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Various employers	To orient new employees and to develop skill levels	Current employees, new hires, job hunters	All

Actions/Activities	Internal and on-site training varies considerably across employers. It can range from a short orientation and some informal on-the-job training to quite structured skills assessment, courses and training tools. Some companies have invested considerably in in-house training having training departments and full-time training staff. An example would include a company that has an in-house training department dedicated to providing one-on-one training with new hires (three days of classroom training), and offers supervisory and HR training, as well as safety training, fall protection training, confined spaces training, and various other courses. Another company has developed in-house a whole series of new visual work instructions and series of videos to facilitate learning for those who have language barriers or prefer a visual approach to learning.
Outcomes/Impacts	The short-term outcomes described by companies include increased levels of skills among employees, high level of appropriateness of skills that align directly to tasks in the specific plant, and increased number of applicants. These lead to longer-term outcomes of increases in promotions, increased employee satisfaction, and greater levels of retention. Many companies reported offering on-site training as not only a recruitment approach, but also with the objective that it would be viewed by employees as investments in individual which would ultimately assist in retention.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be adapted by individual employers. While some of the larger companies are able to invest considerable resources in the development of courses, trainers, and tools, this may not be viable for smaller and medium sized companies. This may be where partnerships with associations could potentially develop tools or employers could access courses developed by groups like the FPSC.

Matching Training with Industry Needs

Idea 4: Offer Co-Op And Apprenticeship Opportunities

There are some companies that have worked with various educational institutions on co-op and apprenticeship programs; however, most of these have focused on either trades (e.g., millwrights, electricians) or more traditional professions (e.g., engineering, accounting). Some programs currently offered in educational institutions that are of interest to the meat processing industry are not widely known by industry representatives (e.g., Fanshawe’s College Retail Meat Cutter Apprentice). Some programs remain at the pre-apprentice level given the lack of ability to provide full meat cutting production line experience. There may be opportunities to structure co-op programs with secondary or post-secondary institutions with other positions in the plant, such as packaging lines or meat cutter entry positions. This would require clear descriptions of possible co-op positions and collaborations with various community organizations and schools to create programs and positions that meet the needs of both students, the industry and education organizations.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
College	To prepare students to work in Canada’s meat-cutting industry through a combination of practical “hands-on” learning labs, theory classes and work terms	New entrants	Ontario

Actions/Activities	Full-time, eight-month program that includes: trades readiness and value-added skills training; academic upgrading; job search techniques; 12 weeks of on-the-job training with area employers.
Outcomes/Impacts	Students build skills in meat processing, product packaging, professional safety standards and work practices. Industry has access to potential workers who are employment ready.
Potential stakeholder involvement	Industry, provincial government, post-secondary sector

Matching Training with Industry Needs

Idea 5: Developing The Job-Readiness Of Potential Candidates
During the roundtables, there was considerable discussion on aspects such as “work ethic” and “understanding work” challenges that employers have with new employees, particularly younger, Canadian-born employees. Some potential approaches developing job-readiness for potential candidates included working closely with community organizations involved with developing these aspects among target groups and working with schools through programs such as youth co-op programs. Some aspects to be covered under job-readiness training include:
- physical strength,
- working in a cold/warm environment,
- attendance;
- communication and interpersonal skills (i.e., working with others),
- cultural awareness (i.e., diversity and cultural sensitivity toward employees and the community),
- driver’s licence and transportation options, and
- math skills (e.g., weight/ratio calculations).

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
FPSC	To provide training and job readiness for unrepresented groups to align with job opportunities in the food and beverage industry	Job hunters, employers	West, Ontario, Atlantic

Actions/Activities	Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC), supported by The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES), has created the project “Succeeding at Work – Employability and Essential Skills for the Food & Beverage Manufacturing Industry”, which focuses on improving the critical skilled labour shortages in the food and beverage manufacturing sector, as well as providing a path to long term employment for those individuals identified as coming from disadvantaged and/or under-utilized populations. The initiative will target six provinces across Canada (BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) and provide training to two cohorts per year for three years.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes include increased skill levels among participants, increased awareness of career opportunities in the food and beverage sector, and increased levels of job readiness. These are anticipated to contribute to the longer-term outcomes of increased employment among participants, and increased labour supply for industry. A full evaluation of outcomes will be undertaken.
Potential stakeholder involvement	While FPSC is the lead organization, there are various key stakeholders involved including various community associations, industry representatives and government.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Association	To assist with new employee onboarding	New employees, employers	West

Actions/Activities	Alberta Foods Processors Association (AFPA) has established a partnership with the Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society (AWES) to assist with new employee onboarding. Training is offered in the development of language skills for newcomers, in learning how to manage culturally diverse teams for supervisors, either online or face-to-face training for new frontline employees regarding communication skills, teamwork, safety and career growth. Programs are available individually or can be structured in a workplace-training project with funding from the Government of Alberta directed to new migrant workers (the Bridge to Better Onboarding project).
Outcomes/Impacts	The short-term outcomes for this project include increased skills (communication, language, safety, etc.) of new employees, and supports to employers. These are expected to contribute to longer-term outcomes of increased employment among new migrant workers.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This is a partnership between an association, community organizations, provincial government and industry.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Educational	To align skills training	Job hunters	Ontario

Actions/Activities	Loyalist College in conjunction with various partners offers a free six-week program to train adults for jobs in the manufacturing and food processing industry to better align skills training and pre-employment preparation with employers’ needs. The program integrates comprehensive job-specific skills and literacy and essential skills with the direct participation of manufacturing and food processing employers in both delivery and program design.
Outcomes/Impacts	The short-term objectives are to increase skill levels and job readiness among participants. This is anticipated to contribute to the longer-term objectives of participants accessing sustainable employment, and supporting workforce development in the manufacturing and food processing sectors.
Potential stakeholder involvement	The program is a collaboration between Quinte Economic Development Commission, Loyalist College, Essential Skills Ontario (ESO), FPSC, companies in the manufacturing and food processing industry and the federal government.

THEME 2: PROMOTING LABOUR MOBILITY AND IDENTIFYING OTHER LABOUR SOURCES

Roundtable participants worked to identify not only issues and challenges in supporting and building a sustainable workforce, but potential pathways to solutions. Interestingly, many industry representatives and stakeholders have some experience with attempting initiatives that came up as examples of these potential solutions. These are highlighted systematically below for each of the sub-themes: “Temporary Foreign Workers and Permanent Residents” and “Accessing Other Labour Sources.”

Challenge: TFW Program and Permanent Residency

One main issue surrounding the TFWP is that it is not understood as a temporary solution; those within the industry often aim to keep these TFWs working in the industry and obtain permanent residency. However, there is a greater need for permanent residents than there are permanent residence positions and the process for renewing Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) is costly. There are also barriers to obtaining permanent residency, such as a required ESL Level 4 qualification or the required level of fluency in French to obtain permanent residency in Quebec. Overall, the immigration process seems to prioritize education levels rather than skills that the industry needs, resulting in unmatched industry needs.

It was discussed that there may be Service Canada employees who misunderstand aspects of the meat-processing sector. There are also negative perceptions of the TFWP resulting from a few companies exploiting the program.

In Toronto, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program launched in the fall includes a stream for C and D skills that would help address shortfalls from the TWFP. In Manitoba, the Provincial Nominee Program identified meat cutters as skilled workers who can apply for the program after 6 months in the province.

There are also some social and economic challenges arising from the TFWP, as families are often separated which, in turn, creates retention challenges.

Roundtable participants discussed the TFWP and the difficulty achieving permanent residency for many of the industry’s workers. Identifying solution pathways provided a way to address retention challenges and these overall comments and suggestions can be grouped into three pathways below.

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY “MOVING TOWARD PERMANENT RESIDENCY”

The TFWP is not really perceived as temporary solution, as many workers and the industry have the goal of obtaining the permanent residency for these workers to be retained in the industry. However, there is a greater need for permanent residents than there are permanent residence positions.

TFW Program and Permanent Residency

Idea 1: Develop Strategies To Attract Permanent Workers
During the roundtables, an important part of the discussion indicated that while there is the word “temporary” in the program name, the TFWP is not being used as a temporary solution. In most cases, the intention is to recruit and bring workers to Canada who are likely to be retained as full-time permanent employees who will be assisted in applying for their permanent residency and become fully integrated into the company and the community. In the Calgary and Toronto roundtables, examples of good collaboration between immigration, ESDC, and companies were highlighted. These were opportunities for ensuring that TFWs would be good candidates for permanent residency (e.g., government officials travelling with companies for out-of-country interviews).

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Food Processing Skills Canada	To prepare pre-arrival clients for careers in the food and beverage processing industry	Newcomers, immigrants, job hunters	All

Actions/Activities	Some companies have realized the importance of reunification of families of TFWs and play an active role in supporting this through assistance with paperwork and sponsorship of candidates as well as providing employment opportunities to family members. These companies view this as a win-win situation with having a more stable workforce, a supportive community, and a larger labour supply. One company has focused on hiring the families of permanent resident candidates, as these individuals come into a supportive environment that is conducive to better and faster integration. The company also assists with family re-unification by assisting with preparing immigration documents and the integration activities when families arrive. These integration activities are made in concert with the local union. Another company focuses on integrating workers’ families as well. This company focuses on assisting moving TFWs into the Provincial Nominees Program pathway with a main goal of reunification of families. In addition, it employs spouses who arrive on open work permits during the processing of the PR applications, or as permanent residents upon arrival.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated shorter-term outcomes for these activities are to have a larger supply of job candidates and to improve employee satisfaction and engagement. These should lead to longer-term impacts of better retention rates among current employees as they are able to bring their families to settle in Canada as well and to have those family members find employment in the same communities.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be integrated by individual employers likely in partnership with various community organizations such as immigrant settlement organizations and housing/social organizations to ensure there are adequate housing and social support for new families.

TFW Program and Permanent Residency

Idea 2: Ensure Community Readiness For Welcoming Newcomers
Ensuring that TFWs will be successful and obtain their permanent residency requires ongoing collaboration between unions, the company and the community. Communities and companies need to be prepared to welcome these workers by working with various programs and institutions, such as:
- schools and immigrant serving organizations to assist with language interpretation and settlement,
- municipal services,
- housing services,
- financial institutions,
- medical services,
- language training,
- landlords,
- community and events services (including religious organizations) and
- local police.
In some regions, there is funding available to municipalities to create settlement websites and outreach initiatives.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employer; multiple sites	To facilitate the quick integration of TFWs into the community and providing necessary supports	New hires (TFWs)	Quebec

Actions/Activities	Some companies have realized the importance of reunification of families of TFWs and play an active role in supporting this through assistance with paperwork and sponsorship of candidates as well as providing employment opportunities to family members. These companies view this as a win-win situation with having a more stable workforce, a supportive community, and a larger labour supply. One company has focused on hiring the families of permanent resident candidates, as these individuals come into a supportive environment that is conducive to better and faster integration. The company also assists with family re-unification by assisting with preparing immigration documents and the integration activities when families arrive. These integration activities are made in concert with the local union. Another company focuses on integrating workers’ families as well. This company focuses on assisting moving TFWs into the Provincial Nominees Program pathway with a main goal of reunification of families. In addition, it employs spouses who arrive on open work permits during the processing of the PR applications, or as permanent residents upon arrival.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated shorter-term outcomes for these activities are to have a larger supply of job candidates and to improve employee satisfaction and engagement. These should lead to longer-term impacts of better retention rates among current employees as they are able to bring their families to settle in Canada as well and to have those family members find employment in the same communities.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be integrated by individual employers likely in partnership with various community organizations such as immigrant settlement organizations and housing/social organizations to ensure there are adequate housing and social support for new families.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employers	To supply communities with supports to welcome newcomers	Community organizations, local businesses, schools	West and Quebec

Actions/Activities	Various examples were provided where companies worked directly with communities to ensure that there were supports to community organizations in welcoming newcomers whether they be TFWs, or other immigrant workers who had newly arrived in Canada. Examples included developing cultural subcommittees that provide support to newcomers, cultural awareness training for supervisors and managers, financial supports to local immigrant serving organizations, working with schools to notify them of arriving families and language/cultural supports required for children, working with local faith groups, working with municipal governments, and collaborating with local business (grocery stores, housing authorities, banks) and services (police) to describe the likely needs that can be filled by private business and local services.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes of this wide range of activities are that workers will feel comfortable in their new communities, and improved planning and accommodation of newcomers by local agencies, services and businesses. The longer-term anticipated outcomes include higher levels of retention of immigrant workers, community growth, economic growth, and improved settlement and integration of newcomers.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This is an approach that individual employers could undertake within strong partnerships with a variety of local agencies, services and businesses. Where this has been successful, there is ongoing coordinated planning for newcomers at the community level. Companies play a collaborative lead role in facilitating this success through participation and provision of resources to assist community agencies where necessary.

TFW Program and Permanent Residency

Idea 3: Potential Changes To Immigration Programming
To help support the retention of these workers and their move toward permanent residency, the following potential changes to immigration programming were identified:
- Develop express entry or other federal paths to permanent residency for positions in the meat industry (i.e., re-examine NOC codes and recognize meat cutting as a skill).
- Create a purpose-based program that fits specific industry needs.
- Settle refugees and immigrants in rural and small-town communities directly rather than major cities that require additional re-settlement to have them able to work in meat processing plants generally located outside of large urban centres.
- Reduce the cost of LMIA applications, extend timelines for renewal and offer fast-track options for renewal.
- Consider fast tracking PR if the individual works in meat processing (e.g. similar to processes for rural doctors).
- Provide greater provincial control over immigration.
- Simplify the process for individuals to stay.
One suggestion that arose from the discussion was to consider developing a process for companies who employ TFWs that would provide the opportunity for workers to be vetted based on their past performance within the TFW program. These workers could then potentially receive advanced standing in the permanent residency approval process.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Partnership between the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provincial governments and industry	To help employers in the Atlantic region hire job candidates who aren’t Canadian citizens or permanent residents with candidates filling jobs the employers have had trouble filling locally.	3 streams – 1) high-skilled; 2) intermediate skilled; and 3) international graduates	Atlantic Provinces

Actions/Activities	Some companies have realized the importance of reunification of families of TFWs and play an active role in supporting this through assistance with paperwork and sponsorship of candidates as well as providing employment opportunities to family members. These companies view this as a win-win situation with having a more stable workforce, a supportive community, and a larger labour supply.One company has focused on hiring the families of permanent resident candidates, as these individuals come into a supportive environment that is conducive to better and faster integration. The company also assists with family re-unification by assisting with preparing immigration documents and the integration activities when families arrive. These integration activities are made in concert with the local union. Another company focuses on integrating workers’ families as well. This company focuses on assisting moving TFWs into the Provincial Nominees Program pathway with a main goal of reunification of families. In addition, it employs spouses who arrive on open work permits during the processing of the PR applications, or as permanent residents upon arrival.
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated shorter-term outcomes for these activities are to have a larger supply of job candidates and to improve employee satisfaction and engagement. These should lead to longer-term impacts of better retention rates among current employees as they are able to bring their families to settle in Canada as well and to have those family members find employment in the same communities.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be integrated by individual employers likely in partnership with various community organizations such as immigrant settlement organizations and housing/social organizations to ensure there are adequate housing and social support for new families.

Challenge: Accessing Other Labour Sources

Throughout the different regions where the roundtables were held, participants agreed that the meat processing industry is facing increased competition for low-skilled and entry-level workers. They acknowledged a need to develop unique approaches to recruit and retain different population groups, but they are starting to run out of new methods and ideas to do so.

There are challenges specific to each group that must be considered when accessing other labour sources. There is a need to align social, religious and cultural needs on the manufacturing lines. For instance, Indigenous people often wish to stay in their own communities, which causes challenges with transportation, while some religious groups have beliefs that keep them from working with certain meat products. In the Toronto roundtable, there was discussion about the difficulties keeping workers who are on a temporary visa status, including foreign students. For instance, individuals may be enrolled in educational programs and upon obtaining permanent residency or citizenship may leave the field. There are also foreign students who try to work in this area but get rejected due to visa requirements or may also have an initial negative view of meat cutting education programs.

Roundtable participants focused on how to address the challenges and issues identified with the accessing other labour sources and how they can be attracted to the industry. Overall, the comments and suggestions can be grouped into four solution pathways, outlined below.

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY

“EXPANDING THE INDUSTRY’S TARGETED RECRUITS”

It is important to acknowledge that there are recruitment challenges unique to recruiting and retaining different population groups. Addressing social, religious and cultural needs will help the industry address increased competition for low-skilled and entry-level workers.

Accessing Other Labour Sources

Idea 1: Attracting Refugees And Newcomers
Many refugees and newcomers in large urban areas. Companies identified that rural relocation requires extensive collaboration with the community to ensure that there are sufficient supports in place and settlement services that can be accessed. This often requires companies to be directly involved in the design and implementation of these services. The community must be welcoming and responsive to the needs of the workers, in particular those with different cultural backgrounds and practices. As well, it was expressed during meetings that “rural” in Canada might be quite different from immigrants’ countries of origins. For example, services in rural areas in Canada may be much more extensive than in home countries. Similarly, travel expressed in kilometres may seem daunting vs. travel expressed in time required given infrastructure and transportation speeds generally available in Canada.
In some regions (e.g., Quebec), roundtable participants indicated that there is limited information available regarding how to reach out to refugees and newcomers for recruitment purposes. One possible solution is to involve the industry in the immigration process early on so that a connection can be established and the possibility of employment can be offered as an option. Similarly, it was suggested that extra effort be made with regional immigration offices so that they are aware of the labour shortages and potential employment opportunities available in the industry for their clietns. Participants in different regions agreed that it would be beneficial to consider providing more structured incentives. For instance, programs could offer the opportunity to expedite permanent residency for refugees and/or newcomers if they move to a rural community and work in the food processing sector. Programs could also provide employment opportunities for spouses. In these instances, permanent relocation is preferred as temporary placements from urban areas are often unsuccessful.
It would also be beneficial to clearly communicate to potential recruits the possibilities of advancement that build upon their existing qualifications (e.g., certifications, training, post-secondary education). Within the sector itself, there are opportunities for cultural sensitivity and cross-cultural training for management and employees, to encourage diverse management teams, to create cultural hubs, and to foster communities of cultural support.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Various employers	To recruit refugees and newcomers for positions in the meat processing industry	Job hunters, career explorers	West, Ontario

Actions/Activities	A number of employers describe how they work with local immigrant serving organizations to inform the organizations of the potential employment opportunities that exist for their clients in the meat processing industry, and to advertise and approach newcomers within the supportive environment of these agencies. Examples include: Posting job vacancies in immigrant settlement organization, immigrant-specific job boards, and agency websites Conducting interviews on-site at the agency Participating in immigrant-focused job fairs Providing bus tours of facilities and the local communities during which potential job candidates are introduced to key stakeholders in the community (e.g., mayor, school representative, housing association) as well as settlement and support groups Broad recruitment from across various provinces through immigrant serving organizations Representatives from immigrant serving organizations visiting the plants on a regular basis to provide support to the recent hires
Outcomes/Impacts	The anticipated short-term outcomes for these activities include increased awareness among newcomers of the potential job opportunities available in meat processing, and increased understanding of the working conditions and work environment for meat processing. This should lead to longer-term outcomes of increased number of newcomer applicants, and increased number of new hires from among the immigrant labour pool.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This is an approach that individual employers could implement with the support of strong relationships and collaboration with immigrant serving organizations both directly in their communities, nearby urban centres, and possibly from other regions and provinces (as demonstrated by one company that uses this approach for broad recruitment strategies).

Accessing Other Labour Sources

Idea 2: Attracting Indigenous Peoples

Numerous companies described approaches they have attempted in an effort to attract and retain Indigenous workers, such as working with band councils, providing bus services and offering additional training. Given that the approaches used to date have proven to be limited in their success, roundtable participants discussed how collaborations between industry, educational facilities, and government divisions working with Indigenous groups must “think outside the box” when developing new solutions. It was suggested in some meetings to examine industries where successful recruitment and retention of Indigenous workers has been successful (e.g., natural resource development) and determine if there are lessons to be learned or practices that could be adapted for the meat processing sector.

Other possible strategies that were mentioned include offering a work share environment (e.g., 12 weeks on 4 weeks off), exporting jobs to the reserve (i.e. final processing or HR), building trust and rapport with the community and Elder(s), creating employment pods of 6–8 workers and keeping groups together, hiring a band member for cultural sensitivity training, hiring an Indigenous officer to be a liaison with the community, allowing workers to bring back the product to the community to increase their pride in their work, creating a mentorship program, providing prolonged financial support and engage Indigenous people when developing programs.

In the Calgary roundtable, these avenues were outlined as more promising given the opportunities for success and that relatively large populations of Indigenous people within commuting distance of many facilities facing employment challenges. In the Montreal roundtable, it was highlighted that there is limited information on existing organizations or processes that would facilitate collaboration with Indigenous communities; more information in that regard is needed. It was also suggested that Indigenous experts be hired to assist with recruitment and retention, similar to how many companies are investing in hiring immigration specialists to assist them in hiring and retaining temporary foreign workers or recent newcomers.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employers	To strengthen relationships with local Indigenous communities	Indigenous community leaders, job hunters, career explorers	West

Actions/Activities	An important aspect of attracting more Indigenous workers into the meat processing industry is building partnerships with Indigenous community leaders and trying various approaches in a systematic manner until there are good fits established for both workers and employers. An example provided was a large employer that undertook special outreach efforts with two local Indigenous communities and worked in partnership with the provincial government. Outreach activities included discussions with community leaders, conducting information sessions, onsite interviews and plant tours. This led to 21 hires directly. Although many moved on, the outreach effort continues to strengthen ties with community leaders who now send candidates to the company. Another example included a company that provides bus tours for First Nations candidates, lunch, and same-day interviews. They advertise on the First Nations online website and attend First Nations job fairs. However, retention is low due to lack of transportation. Another company works with First Nations employment counsellors, attends job fairs and workshops (e.g., Aboriginal Job Fair), and sometimes provides relocation and settlement assistance. Their workforce is 8-10% Indigenous.
Outcomes/Impacts	Short-term outcomes include increased understanding of Indigenous culture by companies, better awareness of job opportunities and working conditions among Indigenous applicants, and more applicants from Indigenous communities. Long-term outcomes include stronger company-community relationships, increased Indigenous hires, and ongoing collaboration to address retention issues such as transportation and cultural needs.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be implemented by individual companies working in partnership with local Indigenous communities and their employment programming being delivered in communities.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Indigenous community and large employer	To provide supports to training meat cutters in a community setting	Job hunters, career explorers	West

Actions/Activities	An Indigenous community has established a meat-cutting training facility and course in their community. Meat processing companies are supporting the program through in-kind contributions (carcasses, tours of facilities) and hiring graduates. The program has an intake of 16 students quarterly (4 cohorts/year) and has graduated nearly full cohorts four times. Job-readiness courses are required before entry. Supports include training stipends and daycare placement.
Outcomes/Impacts	Short-term outcomes: increased skills in meat-cutting and processing, improved job preparedness, and greater career exploration. Long-term outcomes: increased employment levels, social/economic benefits to the community, and increased hires in local meat plants. Additional benefit: community members not enrolled in the program are being hired due to local visibility. The community purchased a van to solve transportation issues and coordinate shifts with the plant.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This project’s success is due to partnerships between community leadership, a community training agency, local college, Indigenous training associations, federal government, meat processing companies, and community organizations (e.g., daycare).

Accessing Other Labour Sources

Idea 3: Attracting Youth

Given the different expectations of potential recruits among youth, and considering the possible strategy of adjusting the expected duration of employment, approaches to attract younger employees include increasing job flexibility, such as offering contracts instead of emphasizing a long-term commitment; providing options for job sharing and split shifts; allowing workers to choose work shifts using an online system; providing access to diverse tasks or workstation rotation and offering different start times to fit with school obligations and other commitments.

Marketing efforts directed to youth can use a variety of social media platforms. One recommendation is to increase the industry’s social media presence and to recruit “key influencers” to advertise for companies on social media. Promoting the industry on social media could also be expected to have an impact on highlighting career opportunities for population segments other than youth. In addition, there could be a plan to target parents who could be directly or indirectly influencing their children’s career paths.

Recognition is also identified as a key factor in attracting and retaining youth, as it helps keep these workers motivated. Recognition may take the form of bonuses (e.g., for attendance), access to technology-based activities that have a gaming aspect integrated (e.g., gaming room for breaks, gamification of training and achievement recognition), requesting feedback from employees every six to three months, offering educational opportunities (including scholarships), or offering retention bonuses for working all summer. Other incentives that might be attractive to youth include offering transportation and/or accommodation.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Various employers	To recruit students for both summer/holiday positions and for more permanent positions	Job hunters, career explorers	All

Actions/Activities	Numerous employers are recruiting high school and post-secondary students to work during summers, holidays, and post-graduation. Recruitment strategies include: Providing tailored work opportunities during holiday periods (e.g., summers, spring breaks). Partnering with educational institutions to generate applications from students for part-time or full-time work. Creating flexible programs for students with parents working at the plant (non-union positions).
Outcomes/Impacts	Short-term outcomes: Increased awareness among students/youth of opportunities in the meat processing industry. Long-term outcomes: Filling short-term labour needs and increasing permanent hires from the youth labour pool.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This approach could be implemented by individual employers. Success may depend on connecting with youth “sources” such as educational institutions, employment agencies, or parents already working in the facilities.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employers	To increase youth awareness of opportunities in the meat processing industry	Employment counsellors, career counsellors, educators, parents, youth	West, Ontario and Quebec

Actions/Activities	An Indigenous community has established a meat-cutting training facility and course in their community. Meat processing companies are supporting the program through in-kind contributions (carcasses, tours of facilities) and hiring graduates. The program has an intake of 16 students quarterly (4 cohorts/year) and has graduated nearly full cohorts four times. Job-readiness courses are required before entry. Supports include training stipends and daycare placement.
Outcomes/Impacts	Short-term outcomes: increased skills in meat-cutting and processing, improved job preparedness, and greater career exploration. Long-term outcomes: increased employment levels, social/economic benefits to the community, and increased hires in local meat plants. Additional benefit: community members not enrolled in the program are being hired due to local visibility. The community purchased a van to solve transportation issues and coordinate shifts with the plant.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This project’s success is due to partnerships between community leadership, a community training agency, local college, Indigenous training associations, federal government, meat processing companies, and community organizations (e.g., daycare).

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Medium employer	To provide flexibility in work schedule to attract and retain youth	Current employees, job hunters	Ontario

Actions/Activities	A company organized its lines and workload to allow more flexible scheduling. An online system is being tested where groups of employees (e.g., parents with young children, youth, older workers) can select their shifts, vacations, and hours. This is anticipated to appeal strongly to targeted groups.
Outcomes/Impacts	Expected short-term results: more applicants needing flexible schedules and increased new hires among youth and older workers. Long-term: improved employee retention.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This could be adopted by individual employers. It involves rethinking plant labor categories and operations creatively to address workforce flexibility while meeting production requirements.

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Large employer	To provide additional support to youth employees	Current employees, new hires	Ontario

Actions/Activities	Recognizing youth may need different support than older hires, the company appointed a youth team lead for seasonal youth workers. This leader focuses on team engagement, building a supportive team environment, and promoting the company’s culture and workplace expectations.
Outcomes/Impacts	Short-term outcomes: increased engagement, better integration of youth hires, and a more youth-focused work environment. Long-term impacts may include better retention, more returning youth hires each season, and increased youth entering the industry after graduation.
Potential stakeholder involvement	This could be implemented by individual employers. Recognizing generational differences in how work is perceived may require a “translator” role to support both the employer and the youth, helping both adapt and align expectations.

Accessing Other Labour Sources

Idea 4: Attracting Mature Workers

This is a field of work that workers can enter at any stage of life, an aspect that can be showcased in marketing efforts, highlighting, for instance, their transferable skills from past employment. Mature workers are also often looking for recognition and flexibility. Providing the opportunity to adjust their work schedule and their access to benefits over time was mentioned as a possible way to showcase the benefits of the industry. Solutions include allowing flexibility with shift scheduling, providing adaptable benefit packages that can be retained even when working part-time (e.g., healthcare that covers elderly parents, drug coverage), offering the opportunity to work at a different plant for a period of time (e.g., Mexico, Brazil); or offering shorter shifts to supplement existing income.

To promote retention, it is also important to accommodate older workers by finding positions that are appropriate to their skill level and possible physical limitations, and showcase their knowledge within the company (i.e., working as coaches or mentors, slowing down the speed of the production line).

[We are following-up with interviews to determine if there are interesting examples where there have been initiatives to retain and/or attract mature workers – we will present in a similar format for “Testing Solutions”]

Organization Type	Goals/Objectives	Target	Region
Employers (not within meat industry – retail, food service, call centres)	To modify working conditions to attract and retain mature workers new to the industry	Mature workers who have not previously worked in the industry	Various

Actions/Activities	Many industries needing workers for lower-skill roles are adapting to the aging workforce. They’re changing workplace conditions to attract and retain mature workers. This includes shorter shifts, part-time roles, extended vacation leave, and benefit plans that include health coverage for part-time staff.
Outcomes/Impacts	Employers gain access to a ready, experienced workforce. These mature workers often bring a strong work ethic, which can improve team productivity. Flexible work options also help attract and retain this group, and may benefit others such as youth or Indigenous workers.
Potential stakeholder involvement	While primarily employer-led, support may come from government-led older worker initiatives or community groups involving this demographic (e.g., service clubs, 55+ associations).

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REPORT OVERVIEW

This report...

Context for Discussions

Roundtables

Discussion Themes

THEME 1: SUPPORTING A SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE

Challenge: Recruitment, Retention and Training

Issue: Industry Image

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY “PROMOTING A POSITIVE IMAGE”

Issue: Industry Image

Issue: Industry Image

Issue: Industry Image

Issue: Industry Image

Issue: Industry Image

Challenge: Recruitment, Retention and Training

Issue: Career Opportunities

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY “MORE THAN JUST A JOB”

Issue: Career Opportunities

Issue: Career Opportunities​

Issue: Career Opportunities​

Challenge: Recruitment, Retention and Training

Issue: Wages, Benefits and Incentives

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY “MOVING BEYOND WAGES”

Issue: Wages, Benefits and Incentives

Issue: Wages, Benefits and Incentives

Challenge: Matching Training with Industry Needs

Matching Training with Industry Needs

Matching Training with Industry Needs

Matching Training with Industry Needs

Matching Training with Industry Needs

Matching Training with Industry Needs

THEME 2: PROMOTING LABOUR MOBILITY AND IDENTIFYING OTHER LABOUR SOURCES

Challenge: TFW Program and Permanent Residency

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY “MOVING TOWARD PERMANENT RESIDENCY”

TFW Program and Permanent Residency

TFW Program and Permanent Residency

TFW Program and Permanent Residency

Challenge: Accessing Other Labour Sources

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY “EXPANDING THE INDUSTRY’S TARGETED RECRUITS”

Accessing Other Labour Sources

Accessing Other Labour Sources

Accessing Other Labour Sources

Accessing Other Labour Sources

CONTENTS

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Issue: Career Opportunities

Issue: Career Opportunities

ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY

“EXPANDING THE INDUSTRY’S TARGETED RECRUITS”