The Alberta government in Canada has undertaken a new three-year Skills Development Training Initiative to enable the food processing sector to develop more skilled workers for the industry.
"Alberta's food processing sector currently employs 23,000 people," said Shirley McClellan, deputy premier and minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development in a release. "We anticipate, over the next five years, that an additional 18,000 new employees are needed to respond to turnover and expansion in the industry. This new initiative will help industry meet that demand."
Alberta Agriculture partnered with Alberta Human Resources and Employment, Alberta Learning and the Alberta Food Processors Association to identify skills gaps and develop the three-year training programme. Funding from the initiative was re-allocated within Alberta Agriculture's budget to support the initiative.
Clint Dunford, minister of Alberta Human Resources and Employment commented on the initiative: "This programme is a great example of how government and industry can work together to address the demand for workers in growing industries and help provide Albertans with the skills they need to find meaningful and sustainable jobs."
The cost-sharing initiative, between government and Alberta food processors, supports significant workplace-skills training projects. Financial assistance is limited to a maximum of 50 per cent of specified eligible costs, up to C$50,000 (€32,200) per company per year. The Alberta Food Processors Association will administer the programme. A government and industry advisory committee will monitor program design and implementation.
Alberta Food Processors Association spokesperson Janet Henderson, vice-president of training and development, said that the growth and vitality of the industry depends on attracting, retaining and developing the skills of its workforce. "Our increasingly competitive market has companies and sectors vying for workers at all levels. This initiative enables the industry to strengthen one of its true competitive advantages, its human capital."