OTTAWA — Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC) has unveiled three new programs in support of Canadian food-and-beverage businesses and their employees. These programs will make it easier for businesses to recruit, train and retain people to ensure that the Canadian production of food and beverage remains strong and resilient, despite threats to Canada’s sovereignty and economy.
“With the political threats and rapidly changing expectations from our U.S. trading partner, it has been a challenging time for businesses and Canadians, but it’s also a time of potential for the food and beverage manufacturing industry — a time to invest in the people of this industry and build prosperity for the future,” says Jennefer Griffith, executive director, FPSC.
The following three programs are immediately available to Canadian food-and-beverage businesses, in addition to the other resources offered by FPSC:
Investing in Food Safety provides an opportunity for businesses to elevate food safety and quality assurance skills for frontline workers and supervisors. Dedicated e-learning curricula for food safety basics and quality assurance principles, and Chromebooks for easy access to the training materials, make learning accessible.
The Student Work Placement Program is designed to facilitate connections between post-secondary students and Canadian employers. Students value industry jobs as a way to bridge academic learning with real-world application and an opportunity to apply fresh ideas and innovative new skills. For businesses, research has shown that work placements provide a positive shared experience for employers and students that often lead to full-time engagement post-graduation.
Building on the successful pilot of Refine Yourself — Leading with Emotional Intelligence, FPSC is launching a new cohort for 50 manager-level individuals at no cost for participation. This four-month program is designed to build leadership skills and support professional development for managers through a practical approach to developing emotional intelligence skills.
“As an organization, we are responding to the current trade environment by increasing our program offerings to ensure Canadian operations continue to run smoothly and workforces continue to provide the very best Canadian food-and-beverage products for consumers,” says Mike Timani, Chair, FPSC.
