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Combatting a Skilled Worker Shortage by Lee Griffi The agricultural manufacturing sector is leading the economic recovery in Canada and one Ontario college is contributing by adding to the much-needed skilled employee pool. In October of 2020 Conestoga College was awarded a $180,000 grant through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership for the development of the new Agricultural Equipment Operator pilot program at Conestoga’s Brant County location. The creation of the 16-week pilot program involved several stakeholders, including the County of Brant.
The Importance of Teamwork Zac Gable is the county’s senior economic development officer and said part of their overall strategy is economic diversification. “Agriculture has a long tradition in Brant and is a key economic driver. We knew prior to COVID-19 there were issues with the agricultural labour force. In fact, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council projects there will be over 47 thousand agriculture jobs unfilled in Ontario alone by 2029,” said Gable. The county decided to have some conversations with Conestoga
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Implement Success | Summer 2021
regarding some sort of program but then the pandemic hit. “The labour situation became exacerbated but with that came along a pot of money we could apply for both from the provincial and federal governments. We were able to band together with some other organizations and get a submission together and that led to the creation of the program,” he added. Other partners in the project were the South-Central Ontario Region Economic Development Corporation and the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie, supported by Libro Credit Union, to expand training opportunities for current farm sector employees and better prepare those interested in careers in agriculture to work on farms in key areas. The college has other resources that manufacturing operations can access. Walinga has operations in the Guelph, Ontario, area and utilizes several programs. “We have taken on some apprentices in the past from Conestoga. My son is actually a graduate of the Manufacturing, Engineering, Welding and Robotics program,” said Chief Executive Officer Butch Medemblik. He added that the college is a great asset for Walinga. “Especially for the trades. We would love to send more staff to take the Truck and Trailer Mechanic program and even more for welder apprenticeships. That would certainly enhance our workforce.” He
added that there are really three reasons why Walinga isn’t taking more advantage of Conestoga’s course offerings. “Ideally there would be more courses available, we would have more employees, and the pandemic would be over.” Brenda Gilmore is Conestoga’s Chair of Workforce Development and Partnerships in Trades at the Brant County location. She understands the importance of working very closely with agriculture leaders when it comes to expanding the program. “Colleges play a key role in helping address industry and community needs through workforce training and development, and advisory committees help Conestoga keep a pulse on current and emerging needs to ensure programs are aligned. Our industry partnerships help prepare graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully enter the workforce.” There is no doubt that governments play a crucial role in terms of providing resources to improve labour issues. Gilmore said the support the college is receiving demonstrates that “our elected officials see the value of agriculture and the role it is playing in the country’s economic recovery. We are very thankful for the contribution we received from the federal and provincial governments, along with municipal governments and
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