OLDS, Alta. – Hiring foreign workers is not the solution to resolving agriculture’s labour woes.
“In the food processing industry we have around 18,000-19,000 workers. At the very most we’ll probably attract 500-1,000 foreign workers,” said Chris Slade of Alberta Agriculture.
Finding foreign workers takes months of getting past government red tape and interviewing candidates through embassies.
However, for those using these workers on a regular basis, it has become a part of their human resources plan, Slade told an Alberta agrologists meeting on labour.
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Slade helped interview more than 3,000 foreign applicants last year, but only 250 were offered positions across Western Canada.
“It is a competitive world and we want the best workers for our industry. We want to be the most competitive; we want to be the most productive. We want to hire people with good attitude who are willing to work hard,” he said.
There are special considerations when seeking immigrant labour.
“Recruit the same as you would domestically. Know what you want and the skill sets you are after,” said Ab Barrie, a manager with Alberta’s farm immigration program.
Think about what would entice a skilled person to leave home and come to Canada on a temporary work permit and no security of staying.
Remember there is plenty of competition for good people. It is important to treat them well so a better offer does not pull them away.
Be sensitive with people coming to a strange country.
They may not speak much English, they are separated from their families and will miss important holidays like Christmas. They could be homesick and will likely have no friends here, no proper clothes and no driver’s licence.
“The more you do up front, the more likely you are to retain the individual,” said Barrie.
The Alberta Pork Producers Alliance, a group of seven large hog farms, has been working for the last 18 months to bring in people from the Philippines, Mexico and some European countries. They need at least 160 people. So far about half that number has been placed on farms and more are working through the immigration process.
The group wants permanent immigrants with skills and experience to go to work on the hog farms immediately, said Bernie Peet of Rocky Mountain Pork.
Skilled people are eligible for a two year worker permit and if they succeed here, they can apply for permanent residency under the provincial nomination program.
“We want people who are going to stay and be with us for a while. The availability of labour is so bad it is too much hassle having people coming and going,” Peet said.
The alliance has tried to recruit at home through agriculture colleges and advertisements.
Some farms have hired people with no agriculture experience. Many did not work out because the candidate either did not show up or only lasted a short time.
“In the last six to nine months it has gotten to the point where it is a crisis,” said Peet.
