Food Manufacturing Fundamentals training offered at Holland College

by Ruby Arsenault, Employment Coach/Facilitator with the Tignish Employment Resources (ER) Centre

Holland College Customized Training is now offering a brand-new training microcredential called Food Manufacturing Fundamentals.

The training includes three weeks of in-person classroom time in Charlottetown and three weeks of full-time on-the-job training at a location with an industry employer.

“This program will help train and fill vacancies in the food processing and packaging industries, which have faced skilled labour shortages over the past year,” says Marloes van der Leeuw, Holland College, Industry Liaison Officer, PEI Workforce Innovation Partnership (PEIWIP).

PEIWIP was launched in 2022 to develop, implement, and promote workforce development initiatives across the province that support industry recruitment and retention.

“The role of the college through the Customized Training department will be to deliver this microcredential and to support learners through the six weeks of training.”

Two offerings of this training will be held, with the first cohort in-class sessions at the Holland College Prince of Wales campus in Charlottetown.

The training is offered at no cost to the participant. Funding is provided by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program and the Canada-PEI Labour Market Agreement.

How did this training opportunity come about?

Marloes says the idea began with discussions held with industry employers over this past year on the skilled labour shortages faced by the food processing and packaging industry.

“The manufacturing environment requires highly skilled production workers to operate safely and comfortably in increasingly automated facilities. This microcredential aims to provide unemployed, underemployed, and those new to manufacturing more employability skills and opportunities to secure long-term employment in this sector.”

Training will include the following:

• competencies and knowledge of good manufacturing practices
• documentation
• familiarity with common manufacturing equipment
• Emergency First Aid
• Forklift Safety
• WHMIS certification

“The training will support learners in the transition to employment and the integration into the workplace environment,” says Marloes.

Participating Island manufacturers and jobs available

Holland College has consulted with a network of industry representatives in the development of this training, including:

• ADL
• Atlantic Beef Products
• Cavendish Farms
• Island Abbey Foods
• Master Packaging
• PEI Bag Co.
• Rollo Bay Holdings

“A learning stipend is available for eligible participants, which will provide support over the six weeks of training,” says Marloes.

“Upon completion of the training, students will be qualified to enter the food processing and packaging manufacturing industry as Production Workers with the ability to advance and build a career.

“While specific duties will depend on the location of employment, Production Worker responsibilities can include verifying the quality of finished goods, packing the finished product, ensuring equipment is operating safely and efficiently, documentation and data entry, following standard operating procedures, and food safety requirements.”