All reports

The Canadian food and beverage manufacturing industry will need 142,000 new people between 2023 and 2030 or almost 50% of the current workforce.

The Canadian food and beverage manufacturing industry will need 142,000 new people between 2023 and 2030 or almost 50% of the current workforce.

Report – At the Crossroad to Greatness

This report looks at what future skills and trends will be integral for the industry. Canada’s agri-food sector is an indispensable part of the country’s current and future economic growth, so knowing what the future holds is critical. Through a roundtable discussion participants discussed the ideal skills that should be cultivated in the industry to further innovation. To better understand the context of future work a variety of trends in the industry from technology to consumer relationships were explored. The findings were turned into actionable recommendations to take the work off the paper and into the real world.

An analytical view into the meat processing sector spotlighting the Brooks Region in the south-east of Alberta. With the region having 3 processing plants, the sector in 2017 employed close to 2,700 individuals. Nevertheless, the sector still has some gaps to overcome, the central one being that there is currently insufficient local labour force to meet the region’s labour demands and this trend is set to continue until 2030. While interviewing some plant managers, they highlighted some key Human Resources (HR) challenges like recruitment and retention. Still these plants are also trying some innovative strategies to combat these challenges like centering the employee and building and supporting the local community.

An analytical view into the fish and seafood processing sector spotlighting the Acadian Peninsula Region. The region can be found in the north east of New Brunswick with 17 seafood processing establishments. Currently their industry are facing challenges with an aging population and youth migration leading to issues with retention and labour shortages. Some of the processor have to innovative approaches to tackle these issues like benefits that make the day to day easier with a cafeteria, paying for necessary supplies for work or ensuring time off. Also providing other appeals like transportation make it an easier choice for people to work at the processors. Giving you relevant information, this report on the Acadian Peninsula Region supplies you with the full picture of their fish and seafood processing sector.

An analytical view into the meat processing sector spotlighting the Brandon Region, located in Southwestern Manitoba. The region hosts 8 meat processing facilitates, with a focus on slaughtering and meat processing. The 8 vary significantly in size, with the two larger ones being some of the largest hog processors in Canada. The region faces challenges with a labour shortage that could last decade, even with the aging population and in migration. The region’s meat processing industry also face more unique challenges, like having a limited number of higher skill meat cutters in Canada, or the young workers moving away to more urban cities. The impact of this labour shortage is felt with the facilities not being able to meet their client’s demands. However, some processor are finding new solutions to these problems like having meat cutting certification programs aimed at international students and a referral program for people living in cities with the option of assistance with relocation. Giving you relevant information, this report on the Brandon Region supplies you with the full picture of their meat processing sector.

An analytical view into the fish and seafood processing sector spotlighting the Charlotte Region, bordering the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. To get a better understanding of the Charlotte, the report begins with an overview of the geographic location and population. Then centering this on the outlook of the New Brunswick fish and seafood processing industry. And for a more personal view, we also interviewed some plant mangers in the region that brought up a few issues, in particular recruitment, retention and competition for seasonal lower-skill labour. This report on the Charlotte Region in New Brunswick supplies you with the full picture of their meat processing sector.

 An analytical view into the meat processing sector spotlighting the Chilliwack Region in the southwest British Columbia. In the region, there is currently a sufficient local labour force to meet the labour demands. However, for the lower-skilled labour force, the supply will fall short, creating a potential gap that will increase through to 2030. There are also some challenges with retention, absenteeism, and for some workers with public transportation schedule not always aligning with their shifts. There have been some promising practices being done at few facilities, in particular recruiting students, language courses for foreign works and attracting some workers from Vancouver with affordable housing. Giving you relevant information, this report on the Chilliwack Region in British Columbia supplies you with the full picture of their fish and seafood processing sector.