Similar to other industries across Canada, the food processing sector is not without challenges and hurdles. Based on the evolving industry realities that characterize the food processing sector today, human resource needs and challenges are explored in detail below:

HR NEEDS/CHALLENGES

• Essential Skills – the need for workers with an educational/technical knowledge base is anticipated to increase
• Immigration – the industry’s labour pool is increasingly sourced by new Canadians. In fact, in some regions and sectors, immigrants account for nearly 100% of new hires
• Lack of Awareness of Industry – limited promotion and knowledge of specific job opportunities. Few employees actually plan careers in the sector, usually, they land in their jobs by default.
• Working Conditions – less than ideal with extreme temperatures
• Retention – often referred to as a “stepping stone” to other jobs
• Attrition – a general decline in the workforce, average age just slightly higher than the national average
• Turnover – most hiring is a direct result of employee turnover, not growth. Meat and Poultry processing tends to have the highest rates of turnover
• Wage Rates – average wages of $30, 869 are lower than entire manufacturing sector with an average of $43,186
• Unionization – major unions are United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) and Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW). Unionized workers receive higher wages than non-unionized
• Seasonality – Harder to acquire skilled workers in a temporary situation. Seasonal workers are often offered lower wages
• Immigration-Increasingly diverse workforce often means that ESL is an issue affecting essential skill levels of an organization.