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 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

“I’m a new, young farmer and being in this course has been really valuable. I learned about how to operate and maintain different types of farm equipment. If you are someone who is interested in agriculture… this is the program where can get that entry into the industry, get some exposure that you may not have otherwise. You can brush up on your preventative maintenance skills, learn best practices, and get your sprayer license.”

— Michaela Cruz

economic development departments across southwestern Ontario.” She adds that without the funding the program would not have started the way we did. “It’s an expensive program to run. Some of the equipment is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Gilmore added that Conestoga is also looking for more partnerships with equipment distributors and OEMs to be able to expose students to a variety of equipment and the latest technology. “We want our students to be well-rounded when they go out to industry.” The college has also recently become a member of the Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada (AMC). “We are very pleased to find the organization. I think it’s a good match for the college, our students and graduates. Any time industry and education can come together it benefits the community.”

First Students Graduate

In April, Conestoga celebrated the first cohort of students ready to enter the workforce as graduates of the pilot program. “We have had many employers reach out to us interested in graduates, from farm operators to agricultural groups. It will be interesting to see where the program leads – our graduates will be in high demand,” said Gilmore who added she is thrilled with the outcomes from the first class. “It’s definitely a start to what we are doing in Brant County. This is just the tip of the iceberg. You always learn things from programming, like we should add this or add that, other pieces of equipment, so certainly we are going to refine this for the next intake, which is coming in January of 2022.”

There has been a lot of energy behind the program with stakeholders, government, and local farmers who provided equipment and technology for the students. “We are now working with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities on the development of a new one-year Ontario college certificate program, and that program will benefit because of the pilot projects we are doing,” said Gilmore.

What’s Coming Next?

The idea of specialized agricultural courses may be catching on elsewhere and Gable is hoping the Conestoga program will continue to expand. “We have had several other economic development departments and colleges reach out and try to learn a little more about this program. The fact Brant can be recognized as a place of excellence in agriculture is something I am immensely proud of. I’m just thinking where can we go from here? Can we provide additional programs like precision agriculture, training with autonomous vehicles with the understanding how sophisticated the ag sector is? The sky is the limit, so I am pretty excited!”

He added that the general public really doesn’t understand how technical agriculture has become. “This notion in the community that agriculture isn’t sophisticated, not technologically advanced – hat couldn’t be further from the truth. Farmers can use smart phones now; they can use drones. We need to battle that and let the public know just how advanced our farming operations are. We are doing a real service.”

Watch this YouTube video providing information on the first pilot course at Conestoga College.

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=t9HgPl8W9Jw