Twenty-five thousand jobs by 2025: Food and Beverage Ontario launches recruitment campaign for the province’s food and beverage processing industry workforce

The CareersNOW! campaign is connecting job seekers and employers faster than ever 

TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2023 /CNW/ – Food and Beverage Ontario, a not-for-profit dedicated to advancing Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry, has launched a robust marketing campaign for its flagship workforce development initiative, CareersNOW!. The campaign seeks to connect students and job seekers with employers as a solution to the growing labour shortage in the sector.

The CareersNOW! program was launched in 2020 in response to the workforce shortage and ongoing challenges stemming from the COVID-19 global pandemic. The initiative is funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development through the Skills Development Fund. The program, now in its third year, has made significant progress, including engaging with more than 3,000 job seekers and students, working with 400+ employers, and creating more than 600 jobs.

CareersNOW! has pushed into high gear launching a province-wide, integrated campaign including a new website, digital advertising, e-mail marketing, out-of-home advertising, and strategic partnerships.

“Our government is on a mission to help people gain the skills they need to take the next steps in in-demand careers,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “I am proud to invest in programs like CareersNOW!, which gives a much-needed boost to our critical food and beverage industry and help young people earn more take-home pay.”

“The food and beverage processing industry is Ontario’s largest manufacturing sector by employment and a huge contributor to the provincial and national economy. With CareersNOW!, we are giving job seekers the opportunity to explore and start an exciting job in our industry, and we are giving employers the workforce supports necessary to grow their business and meet the demands of Ontario consumers,” said Michael Burrows, CEO of Maple Lodge Farms and Chair of Food and Beverage Ontario.

“CareersNOW! is on a great trajectory thanks to our valuable project partners, Advisory Council, and team of experts,” said Chris Conway, CEO of Food and Beverage Ontario. “The new province-wide marketing campaign embodies the value proposition that this industry can offer to students and job seekers. Additionally, we’ve made it easier than ever to get involved through the optimizations we made this year.”

The CareersNOW! campaign is rooted in comprehensive research, which identified key motivational themes and markets for priority audiences and job seekers. The campaign’s creative and messaging centres around “From Passion to Profession,” highlighting the motivation for job seekers to find work that allows for upward mobility, growth and mentorship. The new campaign features a new website offering a streamlined, single-sign-on platform with the ability to connect job seekers to more than 4,000 Ontario employers. The website features videos and guides, access to skills training and job fairs, as well as job postings for positions ranging from entry level to supervisors and quality assurance and sales.

“CareersNOW! is the most important workforce development program we have for Ontario food and beverage processors. For larger businesses, the resources are augmenting current recruitment and retention strategies and for smaller businesses, CareersNOW! has become the de facto recruiter and HR department,” said Mandeep Hans, Director of Sales for Hans Dairy. “And it is not just the resources that are making it easier to connect with qualified jobseekers and young talent, CareersNOW! is showing that Ontario businesses are top employers that offer many types of jobs and career paths. This industry has something for everyone.”

Jobseekers, students, and employers can visit careersnow.ca for more specific information and career-building tools, and recruitment resources, respectively. CareersNOW! is made possible through the partnership of Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada, Ontario Native Education Counselling Association, Meat & Poultry Ontario, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, FoodGrads, Careers in Food, Discover Ability Network, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Magnet, Food Processing Skills Canada, Niagara College, Richard Ivey School of Business, and the University of Guelph – Experiential Learning Hub.

About CareersNOW!

CareersNOW! is Food and Beverage Ontario’s flagship workforce development initiative. Food and Beverage Ontario and its partners created CareersNOW! in 2020 to connect job seekers and students with employers for career opportunities and development. Visit www.careersnow.ca.

About Food and Beverage Ontario

Food and Beverage Ontario is the nonprofit leadership organization for food and beverage processors across the province. Governed by an industry-led Board of Directors, Food and Beverage Ontario advocates for a robust business environment to ensure Canada continues to be a global leader in safe, premium food and beverage production for consumers at home and abroad. Visit www.foodandbeverageontario.ca.