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Job
Opportunities in Canada’s Swine Industry
OCCUPATION:
PORK TECHNICIAN
By
Chris Slade
President
of Explore China Inc.
Canada
is currently facing a shortage of qualified
skilled workers in its swine industry and is
actively recruiting foreign employees from
overseas to immigrate and work in Canada’s swine
industry. The
purpose of this article is to explain why there is
a skilled worker shortage, a description of the
job opportunities, the lifestyle that foreign
workers can expect and finally a brief description
of the application process.
Reasons
for Shortage of Skilled Workers in Western
Canada’s Swine Industry
 Canada’s
swine industry is expanding quickly. The cost of
swine production in Canada is among the lowest in
developed countries.
The low cost of grain (feed) and extremely
low land prices (5000 RMB to purchase one hectare
of land) are the primary reasons for such low
costs. Studies have shown that pig production
costs are 17% and 25% lower in Canada versus the
US and Europe respectively.
This quick expansion in the last several
years has caused a shortage of skilled workers who
have experience raising pigs.
Canada
is well known for its oil and gas production.
Because of high oil prices the industry is
growing rapidly and as such, the wages for skilled
workers is much higher than other industries.
As such, many young people have chosen to
work in the oil and gas industry rather than the
agricultural industry.
This is another reason why the swine
industry is experiencing a critical shortage of
skilled labour.
Due
to environmental concerns, pig farms must be
located in rural areas.
However, due to the industrialization of
agriculture, fewer people are involved in
agriculture and as such, there are fewer and fewer
people living in rural communities. Normally most
pig farms are located close to small towns of
500-5000 people.
As such, pig farms are having difficulty
finding enough skilled workers in the local rural
community.
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The
last reason is a problem faced by all industries
and companies in Canada.
Canada’s population is shrinking.
The number of skilled local workers is
declining and without immigration, Canada is
facing a critical worker shortage.
The government estimates that Canada will
see a shortfall of three million skilled workers
by 2020. In
other words, the shortage of skilled workers is
not isolated to the swine industry in Canada, its
prevalent in most industries in Canada.
In fact, companies are finding difficulty
finding nurses, doctors, construction workers,
engineers, welders, machinists, mechanics and
truckers.
In
short, Canada’s swine industry is facing a
serious shortage of skilled workers.
Specifics
of the Job Opportunities
The
job positions that are most plentiful include:
a)
Breeding Technicians
b)
Farrowing Technicians
c)
Nursery Technicians
d)
Grow Finish Technicians
The
starting salary is roughly $19,000 Canadian
dollars based on a 46 hour work week.
After three years, the salary often
increases to $26,000 Canadian dollars.
Most of Canada’s swine companies also
provide bonuses at year end, free pork products
for their employees, life and disability insurance
and a medical and dental plan for the worker and
their family.
Life
in Western Canada
Most
of the swine companies are located close to small
towns in Canada.
As such, this is where most of the swine
skilled workers would live – in a rural
community. There
are three benefits to this situation.
First, the cost of living is extremely low,
enabling swine workers to save a considerable
amount of their wages.
Although the wages in Canada’s swine
industry are not high by Canadian standards, the
cost of living in these areas more than
compensates for the relatively low salary.
Overall, the cost of living is roughly
50%-60% less than life in the city. Second, the
spouse of the swine worker can find local
employment very easily because of the worker
shortage in all rural communities.
So instead of one income, a family of three
will have two stable incomes. Jobs in local companies and factories are plentiful.
Third, rural communities offer the same
level of education and medical treatment as many
of the large cities.
As well, rural communities are well known
for their safety and clean environment.
 In
terms of costs, swine workers can expect the
following. To
rent a one or two bedroom apartment costs between
$100-300 Canadian dollars per month.
Income taxes are roughly 17%.
Food costs for the family run between
$200-$400 per month.
To purchase a 3 bedroom house in a rural
community costs between $20,000 - $40,000 Canadian
dollars. Overall,
the cost of living is roughly 50%-60% less than
life in the city.
Families
with both the husband and wife working should be
able to save between 1000-1500 Canadian dollars
per month during their first year.
By the third year, they should be able to
save between 1,500 and 2,000 Canadian dollars per
month.
Canada’s
social welfare is world renown for its quality and
the fact that is free.
For example, education from kindergarden to
Grade 12 is free. Basic medical care is also provided free by the government.
Application
Process
To
complete the application process to immigrate to
Canada as a skilled pig worker takes between 10-12
months. Both
the skilled worker their spouse and child qualify
to come to Canada to live.
If a Philippine skilled pig worker is
interested in living and working in Canada, they
normally have to possess the following qualities:
Education:
Normally a degree in livestock production or
veterinary practice is necessary to obtain a visa
to go to Canada.
The degree can be college or university
level of at least 3 years.
The immigration officers would like to see
that the Philippine candidate has a specialized
education in pig production.
Work
Experience: Normally 2-3 years work experience on
a pig farm is preferred.
English
Language: No English language test score is
necessary to qualify.
The only requirement is that they can speak
basic English.
A score of 4 out of 10 would be sufficient.
Age:
25 to 42 years old
Gender:
Both male and female workers are welcome
Martial
Status: Candidates who are married are preferred
to those who are single as Canada would like to
encourage families to settle long term in Canada.
As well, if both the husband and wife work
on the pig farm the chances of being recruited by
a Canadian pig farm are much greater.
Canada
has been ranked as the best country to live in by
the United Nations for the past six years.
Canada’s swine industry is one of the
lowest cost and most advanced in the world.
The opportunity for career development and
progress in Canada’s swine industry is excellent
and is something that Philippine skilled pig
workers should consider. In short, this opportunity is excellent for Philippine
skilled pig workers who wish 1) to create a
better/safe life for their families and for those
who enjoy living in small rural communities.
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