Applications are now open to jobseekers and employers wishing to train for jobs in the food and beverage area. The Province is investing $1 million to prepare over 600 people across the province through Food and Beverage Ontario, providing jobseekers with training, mentorship, and job placements with local employers in baking, food science, and food production and processing.
Workers in food processing, transportation and warehousing, where job postings have nearly doubled over the past year and a fifth of the workforce is preparing to retire, can earn upwards of $25 an hour. Food and Beverage Ontario’s (FBO) CareersNOW! program will help address this labour shortage by delivering free online training and coaching on topics such as workplace safety, employee-employer relations, and safe food handling, to prepare people for jobs in food and beverage manufacturing.
The training offers a virtual career mentorship series delivered in partnership with Ontario colleges and universities that provides students with opportunities to connect with professionals in the industry and explore education and career pathways. Online job fairs to connect jobseekers with open positions are also planned.
“With this important investment, Food and Beverage Ontario has kickstarted a critical workforce development program for Ontario’s food and beverage processors, and the participation by employers and jobseekers has been extraordinary,” said Chris Conway, CEO of the Food and Beverage Ontario. “This program is our top priority.”
Students or jobseekers who wish to participate in the program can register through FBO CareersNOW! Jobseeker. Employers who wish to participate, by posting job openings, mentoring trainees, or participating in job fairs, can apply through CareersNOW! Employer. The program is already live and will run until March 31, 2022.
Across Ontario, there were over 6,127 online job postings in the food, beverage and tobacco product manufacturing sectors in 2021, an increase of 71% in the number of postings advertised in 2020 (3,569).