Canadian Agriculutral Partnership

Addressing Agri-Food Sector Labour Force Challenges

Looking to fund short-term projects that focus on helping to build a resilient and strong labour force for the agriculture, agri-food and agri-products sector by assisting to identify and address challenges and opportunities related to promoting, attracting, training and retaining labour. Project partnerships of not-for-profit organizations involved in the agriculture, agri-food sectors are eligible to apply.

The application intake opened on October 21, 2021 and will remain open while funding is available.

Target Audience

• Project partnerships of not-for-profit organizations* involved in the agriculture, agri-food and agri-products sector that:
• are heavily impacted by labour shortages; and
• have the capacity to address gaps currently facing the sector and/or region.
• A not-for profit organization* may be eligible to apply as a sole applicant but will be given lower merit/preference in comparison to partnerships.
• * Ontario-based not-for-profit organization (including Ontario Indigenous communities or organizations, and municipalities) that is not an academic/research institution, may apply as a sole applicant.
• For-profit businesses are not eligible to apply.

Eligible Projects

• Eligible projects include those that:
• Investigate challenges related to labour supply access, and identify opportunities to strengthen access to suitable labour supply and labour retention in the sector
• Support activities that require additional data or validation prior to the implementation of labour attraction or training projects
• Work to characterize and understand methods to reach identified labour force audiences
• Implement new or enhanced approaches to attracting or retaining labour (e.g. promotion of in-demand skills and career opportunities in the sector)
• Develop/implement new or existing programs or expand existing successful sector specific training approaches that address identified current and emerging challenges

Complete Program details can be found here.