Agriculture Sector Profile

O V E R V I E W 2 0 1 5

SURVEY RESPONDENTS GRAND ERIE’S WORKFORCE

Survey Key Findings

Agricultural employers are facing challenges competing for workers

88% of employers hired in 2014 and 29% had hard-to-fill positions

69% plan to hire in 2015 – down 20% from last year’s results

25% of the agricultural workforce is temporary, and 40% is part-time

16 agriculture-related firms in Grand Erie identified their workforce needs in this year’s EmployerOne survey. Agricultural businesses are key to our rural economy. This report summarizes the results from agriculture, 8% of all survey responses.

SPOTLIGHT ON AGRICULTURE

Recruitment

Hiring Trends

TOP RECRUITMENT METHODS

HOW MANY?

HOW?

WHO?

Mostly small and medium-sized businesses completed the survey

There are fewer youth than the general workforce (8%)

One-third of employees are over 55

14 employers filled 102 positions

Employers usually recruit for local talent, but sometimes look outside

Grand Erie for farm labourers, managers, and fishermen

Top job hires:

72 general labourers

8 packers/shippers

Other common hires:

tourism and marketing administration and clerical managers and supervisors

13% are start-up companies

31% are growth companies

25% of employees are temporary

40% of employees are part-time

69% employ fewer than 25 people

25% employ 25-99 people

Educational Services Healthcare/Social Ass. Arts/Ent./Recreation Manufacturing Agriculture/Forestry... Transportation Accomm./Food Admin & Support

1 Word-of-mouth

2 Online job boards/postings

3 Government/community job centres

Employers rarely used a paid recruitment agency (7%)

55

Hard-to-Fill Jobs

Retention Challenges

WHO SEPARATED? REASON FOR SEPARATION

1100 Clarence Street South, Suite 101, Box 12, Brantford, ON N3S 7N8 Phone: 519-756-1116 Fax: 519-756-4663www.workforceplanningboard.org admin@workforceplanningboard.org

This Employment Ontario project is funded by the Ontario Government

For more information about EmployerOne or to sign up for next year’s survey (January 2016), contact the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie.

Training

Education

OF EMPLOYERS HAD A HARD-TO-FILL POSITION

OF EMPLOYERS SUPPORTED ONGOING TRAINING

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OR TRADE CERTIFICATE HIGH SCHOOL OR EQUIVALENT

WHY?

OF EMPLOYERS COULD NOT. WHY?

122 general labourers made up most of the separations, usually due to temporary layoffs and seasonal work

Minimum level of education that companies require for new hires:

Engineers and accountants (100% of firms) Managers and executives (33% of firms) Technical (28% of firms)

Skilled trades (87% of firms) Administrative and clerical (29% of firms) Sales and marketing (25% of firms)

Production occupations (100% of firms) Service occupations (83% of firms) Apprentices (80% of firms)

3Applicants

not meeting skills

2Not

enough applicants

1Applicants not meeting motivation, attitude or interpersonal abilities

29%

63% 37%

97Other

(e.g. seasonal work)

86Laid off

temporarily

24Quit

5Retired

11 employers experienced

212 separations

1 in 4 employers had a shortage of skilled labourers in farming, fishing and butchery in the Grand Erie region

Employers had concerns they were losing workers to other businesses because of the nature of work and wages

1 Cost of training

2 Loss of productivity during training time

3 Unfamiliar with available training

1 Losing trained employees to other businesses

2 Loss of productivity during training time

Top training challenges:Agriculture was the least likely sector to offer support

However, 90% of supporting employers funded training