Government Funding for a New Consetoga College Program for Agriculture Training

Friday, 2 October 2020 14:03

The Governments of Canada and Ontario announced funding for a new college program that will provide education and training in the latest agricultural equipment.

WOODSTOCK - The Governments of Canada and Ontario announced funding for a new college program that will provide education and training in the latest agricultural equipment.

The funding is for over $180,000 through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The Federal and Provincial Governments will assist Conestoga College in the creation, launch and delivery of a pilot program to expand the training opportunities for current farm sector employees and better prepare those interested in careers in agriculture to work on farms in key areas.

Students will learn skilled trades in high demand areas such as spraying and fertilizing operations, custom tillage and harvesting operations. The project is one of several recently approved by the governments to help primary agriculture, food processing companies and food retailers to recruit and train workers who are critical in keeping the province's essential food supply functioning.

Local MPP and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Ernie Hardeman says this new program will help meet the labour needs of farmers.

"Helping to meet the labour and training needs of our agri-food sector is a priority for this government. Supporting those with a passion for a career in agriculture is key to our economy and ensures our food supply chain continues to produce healthy and nutritious food for Ontario families. Our government is doing everything possible to ensure farmers both today and those in the future have the training and skills necessary to operate their farm operations effectively."

Through a targeted intake under the Partnership's Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovation Initiative, the governments have also recently committed up to $594,000 to projects to boost labour supply and training in the agri-food sector. In addition to the Conestoga College program, the governments have approved:

- $396,000 for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture to develop a comprehensive support system for businesses in the agriculture and food sector to target communities affected by workforce shortages in the agri-food sector due to COVID-19, including a job matching and labour recruiting service;

- $198,000 for Food and Beverage Ontario to develop and complete a six-month marketing campaign to build confidence with frontline food workers, support business continuity for Ontario's food and beverage processing sector, and support the operational stability of Ontario's food and beverage processing sector during COVID-19 challenges.