By Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter)

Canadian Dairy Commission invests in development of a qualified dairy sector workforce

Apr 12, 2018 | 2:07 PM

QUEBEC CITY —  The Canadian Dairy Commission is supporting the dairy industry, with the launch of the Workforce Development Initiative (WDI). 

The three-year, $5 million investment is designed to support the attraction and education of a qualified workforce in the Canadian dairy industry. The initiative will focus on funding four key programs that include scholarships, career promotion, education and continuing education.

When the commission consulted representatives of the dairy industry, it found one of their major challenges, now and in the years to come, is to attract and retain qualified workers, especially in cheese plants. 

The importance of the diary industry is underscored by the numbers:

— There are 10,951 farms in the dairy sector across Canada, where 945,000 cows produce close to 8.5 billion litres of milk per year.

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— The milk processing industry ships $15.2 million in products and employs about 22,900 people in 471 plants.

Organizations eligible for funding include industry associations and learning institutions, with funding to start in the fall of 2018.