AGRI Skills

Practical, targeted training options for agricultural employers, employees, associations and educators, the AGRI Skills Program addresses agriculture's biggest workforce challenges and supports the development of a productive, profitable business.

Overview

Practical, targeted training options for agricultural employers, employees, associations and educators.

The AgriSkills Program addresses agriculture's biggest workforce challenges and supports the development of a productive, profitable business.

Through a range of resources, including workshops, webinars, videos, e-learning, curriculum and on-the-job training, AgriSkills provides:

  • HR tools and training for farm supervisors and managers
  • On-the-job training and self-guided e-learning for workers
  • Training for supervisors who manage foreign workers
  • Tracking tools to ensure workers have the skills they need
  • Customized training for specific commodities or industry challenges

 

Agriculture Women in Leadership Program

This pilot program was developed and run by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council. Its objective is to develop robust women in agriculture leadership program to be delivered across Canada.

Sign up to know more about the program
 

Welcome to Canadian Agriculture

 

The aim of this program is to familiarize new Canadians and individuals willing to explore new careers with the agriculture industry in Canada and increase their job readiness to enter the agricultural industry. 

With the Government of Canada’s Immigration Level Plan to welcome over 1.45 million immigrants over the next three years, newcomers are to become an essential force to overcome chronic labour shortages in all sectors, including agriculture. Providing new Canadians with information about the agriculture industry and available job opportunities will help with their integration into the labour market and address some of the labour shortages faced by the industry and rural communities. 

Welcome to Canadian Agriculture is an online self-paced training program for newcomers to Canadian agriculture. The program is designed to benefit new Canadians and those considering building careers in agriculture in Canada.  

This program provides a general overview of the agriculture sector, its main commodities, job outlook, and various career pathways that can be found in the industry for individuals from different nationalities, backgrounds, and education, experience, training, and language skills.  

While learning about agriculture, participants will learn that working in agriculture does not always mean working on the farmland, as there are other rewarding careers outside of the farm gates in business, marketing, electronics, and much more.  

Should you have any questions or concerns about the program, please contact us at outreach@cahrc-cchra.ca 

Eligibility Criteria

 

To be eligible to participate individuals must meet both of the following criteria:  

(a) Legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial and federal legislation and regulations; 

(b) A Canadian citizen, permanent resident or persons who have been granted refugee status in Canada. 

Course Content

 

The online training is very flexible and can be completed according to each participant’s schedule, and should not take more than 12 hours to complete.  

The program's content highlights the exciting opportunities in agriculture, reviews commodities and the corresponding job opportunities that can offer exhilarating career paths. 

There are 13 units covered in the training. They include: 

1. Canadian Ag at a Glance 

2. Grain Farming in Canada 

3. Beef Farming in Canada 

4. Pork Farming in Canada 

5. Dairy Farming in Canada 

6. Chicken (Broiler) Farming in Canada 

7. Egg Farming in Canada  

8. Greenhouse Farming in Canada 

9. Turkey Farming in Canada 

10. Mushroom Farming 

11. Aquaculture 

12. Life and work in rural communities  

13. What next? Career paths in Canadian Agriculture 

 

Participants will be able to review job profiles; which will go over various careers and how they align with the industry, 360-degree farm tours; that will provide a look at on-site farming, and infographics specific to each commodity. 

AgriWorkplace Skills Training Program

Applications for the program are now closed. If you have already registered for the program, you can sign into AgriAchieve training tracking platform to complete any remaining documentation.

The AgriWorkplace Skills Training Program is a pilot program developed and run by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council is a program designed to help support employers and workers in primary agriculture through training, wage subsidies, and wrap-around supports.

The program has been modeled after a program delivered in Quebec by an agricultural association called AgriCarrieres. Their program “Programme d’apprentissage en milieu de Travail (PAMT)” makes it possible to develop recognize skills related to the daily exercise of a profession. Taking place entirely in the company, the employer or an experienced employee, designated as a journeyman, transmits their know-how to a salaried employee called an apprentice. Their program aims to improve the skills and knowledge of the Canadian agriculture workforce and support the growth of the industry. Click here to learn more about AgriCarrieres program.

CAHRC’s AgriWorkplace Skills Training Program supports the training of both Employers and Employees through e-learning and On-the-Job Training. This training program will enable employers to have access to an e-learning program effectively teaching On-the-Job training method. Employers will then have the skills required to teach their workers effectively against the major task areas outlined in CAHRC’s validated national occupational standards and be able to use an interactive training tracking tool to track their workers’ progress.

The Council’s longstanding efforts to clarify the work conducted in modern agriculture has led to the development of over 75 National Occupational Standards (NOSs) across 16 different commodity groups. Through this program, participating employers will get access to CHARC’s OJT e-learning as well as the NOS for the worker level.

Upon completing the AgriWorkplace Skills Training Program, employers will possess the necessary abilities to better train their employees according to national occupational standards. They will also have access to an interactive training tracking tool to monitor their workers' advancement. Moreover, the program helps training participants overcome barriers that previous research has identified, including childcare and transportation supports. Employers will receive a $5,000 wage subsidy per trained employee, or $7,500 should the employee be a member of an under-represented group.

We welcome producers from primary agriculture in Apples, Beef, Crops, Dairy, Greenhousing, Mushrooms, and Swine to participate in this pilot program.

Due to limited number of subsidies available, this program operates on a first-come first-serve basis.

 

Should you have any questions or concerns about the program, please contact us at agriworkplacestp@cahrc-ccrha.ca.

 

This program is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP).

Eligibility & Training Requirements

Applications for the program are now closed. If you have already registered for the program, you can sign into AgriAchieve training tracking platform to complete any remaining documentation.

Eligibility Requirements

The Recipient agrees to meet all the AgriWorkplace Skills Training program eligibility criteria, whereby a Recipient: 

  • is a registered, Canadian business or non-profit;
  • is not a federal, provincial, territorial or municipal government;
  • is a primary agricultural operation in one of the following commodities: Apples, Beef, Crops, Dairy, Greenhouse, Mushrooms, or Swine;
  • is training an Employee who is of the worker level, and the position is associated with the validated National Occupational Standards within the AgriAchieve Training Tracking Platform;
  • is committed to paying the Participating Employee for the role;
  • has the financial capacity to pay the Participating Employee for the duration of the Training Period in full (the wage subsidy will be administered after receiving the final pay stub at the end of the Training Period);
  • will comply with all federal and provincial human rights and labour legislation, regulations, and any other relevant standards including but not limited to the applicable occupational health and safety legislation and applicable employment and labour standards legislation;
  • where legally required, is compliant with applicable Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), workers’ compensation, or alternate workplace insurance coverage, laws and requirements;
  • will not engage in any unlawful reprisal or retaliation against its employees, whether in with respect to the participation in the Training Program, the eligibility for the Subsidy, or otherwise; 
  • has not received or will not receive funding through CAHRC or another program delivery partner for more than one subsidy per Employee;
  • will not count any subsidy provided under this program toward tax credits;
  • except as provided above, is only submitting applications for paid positions that are not subsidized by the federal government under another funding program; the application is ineligible if the Recipient already applied for or has received an award/grant from other federal funding programs, such as Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) or the Student Work Placement Program (SWPP);
  • is only submitting applications for Employees who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; 
  • is only submitting applications for Employees legally entitled to work in Canada;
  • is only submitting applications for Employees allowed to work as per provincial regulations;
  • the Employee is 18 years or older, is a new or existing hire, works part-time or full-time, but must work a minimum of 20 hours a week; and
  • the Employee can be a family member who is looking to further develop their skills in agriculture.

Training Requirements

The Recipient agrees to meet all the AgriWorkplace Skills Training program training requirements criteria, whereby a Recipient: 

  • must complete the On The Job Training (OJT) method demonstration e-learning course within CAHRC’s AgriAchieve Training Tracking platform prior to their participation in the Pilot Program;
  • is committed to train the Employee using the OJT method against the National Occupational Standards (NOS) as laid out within the AgriAchieve Training Tracking Platform;
  • must ensure all Participating Employees complete their Participant Agreement Form, pre-survey, and post survey;
  • must use CAHRC’s AgriAchieve Training Tracking platform to apply and manage their Subsidy;
  • must use the AgriAchieve Training Tracking platform to track their worker’s training progress;
  • is committed to updating training sessions and training progress a minimum of bi-weekly within the AgriAchieve Training Tracking platform throughout the duration of the Training Period;
  • must complete a minimum of 10 training sessions over the duration of the Training Period; and
  • must demonstrate a reasonable effort to complete all training within the Training Period.
     

How it Works

Applications for the program are now closed. If you have already registered for the program, you can sign into AgriAchieve training tracking platform to complete any remaining documentation.

  1. Employer registers on the AgriAchieve Training Tracking Platform and reviews program requirements
  2. Employer reviews and agrees to Terms and Conditions within registration
  3. Employer completes On The Job E-Learning Demonstration
  4. Employer signs and returns terms and conditions
  5. Employer provides information requested within the electronic banking form
  6. Employer adds Employee(s) to the AgriAchieve Training Tracking Platform
  7. Employee(s) sign(s) agreement and completes pre-survey
  8. Employer uploads signed employee agreement(s) (per each employee)
  9. Employer can now schedule training activities within the AgriAchieve platform and track employee progress
  10. Employer trains their Employee(s) against the activities laid out in the National Occupational Standards
  11. Once the employer has completed the minimum training period length of 3 months and has trained against at least 10 major task areas, they are then eligible to submit the employee’s paystubs to receive the wage subsidy.
  12. Employer submits a completed Invoice and Gross Salary template for each participating employee as well as first and last pay stubs for the training period
  13. Employee(s) complete(s) their post-participation survey and provide(s) any additional information to CAHRC for distribution of wrap-around supports
  14. Employer completes their post-participation survey and receives wage subsidy payment within 45 days of receipt of and approval of documents.


Please review the Eligibility Criteria and Training Requirements before applying to the program. You may also review the Frequently Ask Questions for additional information.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Applications for the program are now closed. If you have already registered for the program, you can sign into AgriAchieve training tracking platform to complete any remaining documentation.

Are employed Temporary Foreign Workers eligible for this training and wage subsidy program?

  • No, Temporary Foreign Workers are not eligible to participate in this program. Only employees who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act are eligible.

What if I employ both Temporary Foreign Workers and non-Temporary Foreign Workers, am I able to participate in the program?

  • Yes, you are able to participate in the program if you employ both Temporary Foreign Workers and non-Temporary Foreign Workers. However, you may only receive a wage subsidy for training workers who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

What if my workers are already partially or fully trained?

  • You are welcome to include your employee in the program even if they have begun their training, or have completed the training at your operation. Since the program uses the validated National Occupational Standards to help guide the training there is opportunity to further confirm employee training and skills by validating against the standards.

Is a worker who is not a new hire eligible for the program?

  • Yes, both new hires and existing employees are eligible to participate in the program.

What percentage of the training needs to be completed?

  • To complete the training, each employee must participate in a minimum of 10 training sessions over the minimum training period duration of three months.

What happens if an employee leaves my employment before they have completed their training, or before the end of the minimum training period?

  • Should an employee leave the Employer’s employment, or choose to exit the training experience before completing the training or before the end of the minimum three month Training Period. The employer will still be eligible for the wage subsidy up to the salary paid to the employee through the completed duration of the Training Period. Provided the Employer has met all other criteria as laid out within the program and has shown a reasonable effort to complete the training within the Training Period. If the employer has made reasonable efforts to complete training, they will be eligible for the subsidy up to the point of the employee’s departure.

What are the wrap around supports and how are they administered?

  • Wrap around supports will cover a portion of childcare and transportation for participating employees. Employees will have a maximum reimbursement for childcare and a maximum reimbursement for travel costs. Travel costs can include the cost of travel from their residence to their place of work/training. Travel costs will be calculated based on kilometric rates per province from the Treasury Board.
  • At the beginning of their training period participating employees will inform CAHRC of their need for wrap around supports. At the end of the training period, CAHRC will work with the employee to determine the value of their reimbursement for travel and childcare. These limits are determined by how many participating employees request wrap around supports.

Do all of my employees need to participate in the program?

  • No, not all of your employees need to participate in the program.

Is this program open to supervisors or managers?

  • No, supervisors and managers are not eligible within this program. This training program is geared towards employees of the worker level. Should you have supervisors or managers who are seeking further training CAHRC is currently developing supervisory training which will be available in the near future.

What if my operation does not fall under any of the listed commodities?

  • Since this is a pilot program, we are only launching with the pilot commodities (apples, beef, crops, dairy, greenhouse, mushroom, and swine). If you are not a producer in one of those commodities, please contact us at agriworkplacestp@cahrc-ccrha.ca. Should the program continue outside of the pilot, we would be happy to consider adding additional commodities.

What is the difference between this program and CAHRC’s Growing Opportunities Program?

  • CAHRC’s Growing Opportunities program focuses on employers looking to hire students who have a work integrated learning (WIL) component to their post-secondary program. 
  • This program focuses on employers seeking to train new employees, or further train existing employees. This program targets employees of the worker level working at an operation in one of the following commodities: apples, beef, crops, dairy, greenhouse, mushroom, and swine. This program offers wrap around supports as well as a completion bonus for the employees.

Am I eligible for both this program and CAHRC’s Growing Opportunities program?

  • You are eligible for both programs simultaneously, provided the employees participating in each program are different. You cannot use both programs for the same employee.

Are Ukrainians who have come to Canada under the Canadian-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program eligible as a newcomer or refugee?

  • No, Ukrainians who have come to Canada under the Canadian-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program are not eligible for this program. Only employees who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act are eligible.

Is there a maximum number of subsidies that I can apply for?

  • No, there is no maximum for the number of employees that you can train under this program.

Is there a limited number of subsidies available?

  • The pilot program has a limited number of subsidies, maxing out at 200. This program operates based on the order of applications.

Is there a deadline for the applications?

  • There is currently no deadline for the program; however, applicants must complete the required training materials before March 1, 2024. This is set to change based on funding availability and updates to the pilot program.

How long will it take to process my application?

  • We are hoping to process your initial applications within a few days. Please consult the instructions within the platform, as well as the guides available to ensure information and documentation submitted is complete to ensure smooth processing. 
  • If all eligibility is met and the training period is completed, the employer can submit the proof of payment (pay stubs) of the employee, as well as an invoice. 
  • Once the entire application process is complete, it will take up to 45 days for the funds to be electronically transferred from CAHRC to the employer.

How long until after my subsidy is approved can I expect to receive payment?

  • Once the entire application process is complete, it will take up to 45 days for the funds to be electronically transferred from CAHRC to the employer.

 

Have a question that isn’t answered here? Get in touch with us at agriworkplacestp@cahrc-ccrha.ca

HR Management Training

AgriSkills provides solutions in HR Management including e-learning, workshops, and webinars.

Do you need an HR training solution tailored to the needs of your stakeholders?
Partner with CAHRC to create a customized solution, to be delivered in class or online. CAHRC HR specialists will work with you to develop a series of webinars, e-learning modules, seminars, workshops or programs that meet your industry requirements and your client's needs. Browse our E-Learning and Webinar programs to see how CAHRC can help.

E-Learning

HR 101 - An Overview of HR Management

HR 101 is for farm owners and managers who want to learn the best practices for recruiting, retaining, and managing their workers more effectively. Partner with CAHRC to create a customized solution, to be delivered in class or online to your members.

Delivered through six modules, HR 101 introduces the key human resources (HR) practices that ensure a healthy, engaged, and productive workforce. Downloadable tools and templates are also included in the e-learning course, and can be offered to your members at a reduced cost when you partner with CAHRC.

The course includes modules for:

  • Human Resources Management Overview
  • Human Resource Planning
  • Human Resource Policies
  • Find Skilled Workers
  • Hire and Keep Skilled Workers
  • Train and Develop Your Workers

Learn more about the HR 101 course


Train-the-Trainer: On-the-Job Reference Guide

These simple, practical tools are designed to help trainers, supervisors, and mentors teach new or inexperienced workers to acquire the skills they need as they "learn by doing." Formalize and standardize the approach to training on your farm, and ensure that your workers can do their jobs safely and efficiently. Originally adapted for Landscape Horticulturalists, Train-the-Trainer can be used to train employees quickly, safely, and efficiently with on-the-job training tools.


Human Resources Planning Workshop

This workshop for agricultural managers and owners focuses on human resources planning that supports business goals and strategic priorities. Participants learn the five steps in the planning process, including an overview of the main HR areas, workforce analysis, workforce requirements, strategy development and evaluation.


Supervisory Training Workshops

This practical, instructive, and interactive workshop series for agricultural supervisors provides tools to improve the workplace culture. Supervisors learn to make real, long-lasting and impactful changes that enhance employee morale and success for both domestic workers and temporary foreign workers, including SAWP workers.


Recruitment and Retention Workshops

This workshop is for agricultural business owners, managers, and supervisors. The Recruitment and Retention Workshop helps business owners, managers, and supervisors make crucial HR management decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and increase their understanding of the best approaches to recruitment and retention.

Webinars

Human Resources Webinars

Help your members address their labour challenges and learn best practices for building and supporting the workforce they need to support their business goals. This three-part webinar series explores recruitment, selection, and hiring from an agricultural perspective. Each webinar is 30 minutes long and available on demand.

Contact us for more information.

Commodity-Specific Production Training

Customized e-Learning

Customized e-learning packages give your members a convenient and effective way to train their production workers. Based on the National Occupational Standards, e-learning reflects industry best practices and can be developed for a wide variety of commodities, including marine, plant, and animal production. E-learning can also be designed to align with your association's code of practice and comply with audit requirements for updated or continuous training.

For more information, contact us.

Educator Tools

The AgriHR Management Curriculum & Instructor Guide is the first comprehensive curriculum designed for Canada's agriculture sector.

Based on years of research and field testing conducted in Canada and internationally, AgriHR Management offers practical, proven human resource strategies to help students address agricultural workforce challenges.

In collaboration with the AgriHR Toolkit, the 12-unit AgriHR Management Curriculum is designed as a flip classroom, and covers a complete range of HR topics, including recruitment, selection, hiring, training, health and safety, workplace wellness, and more. All curriculum materials can be customized with your institution's logo and brand.

Instructor resources include detailed guides, lesson plans, presentation materials, assignments and summative assessments, videos, and guest-lecture agendas. See sample curriculum materials.

Student resources include video overviews, self-guided discovery and practice exercises, self-assessments and quizzes, and access to current research and insights from real-world practitioners.

Collaborative content. AgriHR Management supplements core educational content with peer-generated "living program" content from instructors across Canada, including reports, guest lectures, and more. 

To register as an Instructor with the AgriHR Management Curriculum & Instructor Guide, contact us.

AgriHR Management Curriculum

A Comprehensive Curriculum for Future Agricultural Leaders

The AgriHR Management Curriculum & Instructor Guide includes 12 units that cover key HR topics and strategies from a Canadian agricultural perspective.

UNIT 1: Introduction to HR management and strategic HR. This unit provides an overview of the theoretical and practical skills required for the effective management of people in the workplace.

UNIT 2: Recruitment, selection, and hiring. This unit covers topics including recruitment and retention strategies and processes, duty to accommodate, interview techniques, and how to hire temporary foreign workers.

UNIT 3: Compensation and benefits. This unit covers topics including fair pay and employment standards, payroll deductions, setting competitive rates of pay, creating compensation and benefits packages. 

UNIT 4: Improving worker performance. This unit covers topics including legal obligations, perks and rewards, worker training, discipline and termination processes, and working with family members.

UNIT 5: Succession planning. This unit explores succession planning for small business, with a focus on family farms and planning for the succession of key roles in an organization. 

UNIT 6: Workforce planning. This unit explores key elements of organizational planning for small or family-run businesses, including setting goals, assessing labour needs, and analyzing the work environment.

UNIT 7: HR policies. This unit covers the development of policies and policy manuals that ensure safe, inclusive, productive, acceptable, and legally defensible behaviours in the agricultural workplace.

UNIT 8: Health and safety. This unit examines the issue of agricultural health and safety, and provides tools and information to help students support the highest safety standards in a farm environment. 

UNIT 9: Workplace wellness. This unit explores the business case for workplace wellness and strategies for meeting legal obligations and supporting work-life balance and well-being for domestic and international workers. 

UNIT 10: Diversity and inclusion. This unit looks at strategies for creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace where people of different genders, religions, nationalities, cultures, sexual orientations, languages, and abilities can feel comfortable, respected, and valued. 

UNIT 11: Leadership, values, and teamwork. This unit guides students to reflect on their own values, examine the values of companies and organizations in the industry, and explore the implications of values and leadership at work.

UNIT 12: Putting it all together. This unit reviews all the curriculum topics and shows how they come together to create a safe, attractive, inclusive, and productive workplace. Final exam included.

AgriWorkplace Skills Training Program

This pilot program developed and run by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council is designed to help support employers and workers in primary agriculture through training, wage subsidies, and wrap-around supports.