Agriculture

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Careers in agriculture account for one of every eight jobs on PEI, and the number is increasing.

The PEI Agriculture Sector Council is a non-profit organization which provides a vehicle for effective industry participation in identifying and addressing human resource issues in the agriculture industry.

At the age of 30, Laurie Loane, Executive Director, PEI Agriculture Sector Council, was asked about her career passion for the first time.

“No one had asked me that before. I had to stop and think about whether I was in the right place workwise in my life. What did I want to do every day? What made me get out of bed looking forward to the day and what made me feel good at the end of the day? The first thing I thought of was being directly in an agriculture career, which has been my ambition since I was young.”

According to Statistics Canada for the province of PEI, 3,600 people worked in Agriculture in 2021.

Hiring needs in the agriculture sector across the province

Farmers look for staff during the busy times of the agriculture seasons. The PEI Agriculture Sector Council helps them by listing job opportunities from all over the Island.

Some of the most common seasonal job listings are for Truck Drivers and Labourers.

Labourers are needed for cutting seed potatoes and vegetable and fruit planting and harvesting.

Truck Drivers are needed to deliver product to farms and move produce from farm fields to processing facilities on PEI and the Maritimes. A Class 1A license and some related experience is usually required.

Many positions listed are seasonal, such as Crop Scouts, Administration, and Shipping/Receiving. These positions would be ideal for post-secondary students with some agriculture experience.

“Depending on the commodity, a lot of these jobs are available year-round. There are also jobs in management, science, human resources, mechanics, government, and at agriculture-related companies.”

The Farm Team Bursary: Students going into grades 10, 11 or 12 in the fall are paid a $1,000 completion bonus by the employer upon completion of their work term (minimum of 250 hours). Post-Secondary students starting or returning to post-secondary studies in the fall are paid a $2,000 bonus by the employer upon completion of their work term (minimum of 500 hours)

For more information about careers in agriculture, call the PEI Agriculture Sector Council at 902-892-1091. Visit www.peiagsc.ca

For a list of current agriculture job openings, click here

Discover more occupations with this question:

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Local education/training

Truck and Transport Mechanic Apprenticeship training now available on PEI

• Atlantic Veterinary College
• More Long and Short-term courses and programs
• PEI Farm Technician Apprenticeship program

Resources to further explore the field

• PEI Agriculture Sector Council
• PEI ADAPT Council
• Agriculture and Land

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PEI Agriculture news you can use:

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What is your something?

What is your future career path? You have to do SOMETHING to earn a living, but what will it be?

Here are some examples of careers in agriculture and food… Is there SOMETHING that interests you?

English version, click here.

French version, click here.

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