Food Processing Skills Canada Membership

Employer, employee and job seeker skills training is our specialty at Food Processing Skills Canada and we are pleased to offer Canadian businesses an extra benefit as part of SWPP+.

We have added a suite of e-courses to assist employers and students to prepare for a successful work placement and the start of a rewarding career. This training is available at no cost. Enjoy!

Employer Curriculum
*Employers also receive the student curriculum

1

Introduction to Emotional Intelligence​

2 hours • Emotional Intelligence Series

This course will introduce the concepts, skills, and tools you need to develop to be more successful in the workplace. Emotional Intelligence skills are shown to contribute to 80% of your success with your career and life. People with high emotional intelligence are aware of their emotions and can manage feelings, impulses, communicate effectively with others, solve problems, and build rapport in tense situations. Emotionally smart individuals remain optimistic in the face of adversity, bounce up quickly from setbacks and strive to perform.

2

Interpersonal Relationships​

1 hour • Emotional Intelligence Series

An African proverb says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. While it is often easy to assume that going “solo” will make us more successful, the truth is that there is no such thing as a self-made person. As human history reminds us through our multiple cultural, social, economic, and technological advancements, anything worth accomplishing has been made possible through and with others. Dreams, goals, and work-related projects can be realized more successfully when we combine our unique strengths and talents with those of other people. Therefore, interpersonal skills, also known as Social Skills, are key to help us multiply our success in the workplace and life in general. These skills are one of the building blocks of emotional intelligence and are highly demanded in the workplace. Interpersonal relationships skills allow people to create and keep good and satisfying relations with others. Employees with strong interpersonal skills are highly valued for their personal leadership, pleasant positive demeanor, solution-oriented attitude, and effective communication. Moreover, they are seen as team players who get along and work well with others to achieve organizational goals. The purpose of this course is to equip you with knowledge, tools and strategies that will help you strengthen your interpersonal relationship skills and leverage them effectively at work. 

3

Empathy at Work​

2 hours • Emotional Intelligence Series

One of the key insights from emotional intelligence and research on successful people is that our own personal happiness depends heavily on our relationships with others. By adapting into the needs of other people, we enhance our own emotional well-being and physical health. This is also true in the workplace as people who foster empathy, trust and cooperative relationships are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, engaged and more productive. As a result, organizations can realize greater employee and customer loyalty and retention. Empathy is also the key to creating a meaningful life and making a real difference within and beyond the workplace. This is because empathy is a transferable skill that empowers us to do the right thing for others not only at work but also in our communities. The purpose of this course is to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to develop and harness empathy at work, which will help you harvest better relationships and contribute to creating a more productive, inclusive, and satisfying modern workplace.

4

Building Team Resilience

3 hours • Supervisor Level 3

This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to understand how GMPs support the safe manufacturing of food and how to implement GMPs. Participants will learn the important role of food workers have in supporting their workplace food safety culture. By following food safety practices, food workers help their employer to protect the consumer, meet government regulations and address business needs.

5

Build a Respectful Workplace​

3 hours • Supervisor Level 3

The purpose of this Respectful Workplace course is to help all levels of employees understand their personal responsibility for the creation of a respectful work environment, why this is beneficial to themselves and others, how to identify and respond to disrespectful behaviours, and how they can contribute to respect in the workplace through their personal actions and behaviours.

6

Supervise Employee Performance

2 hours • Supervisor Level 3

Working with people is one of the most important factors of team environments. This is especially important for supervisors, management, or anyone responsible for the time, performance and talent of others. This course will provide tools and strategies to better supervise, motivate and manage your teams effectively.

Student Curriculum

1

I AM FOOD – Introduction to the Canadian Food & Beverage Manufacturing Industry

5 hours • Foundation Level 1

I AM FOOD introduces participants to the Canadian Food & Beverage Industry and the greatest strength of the industry, the people who work within it. The Canadian food industry is the largest manufacturing sector in Canada. With enormous natural resources from coast to coast. Participants embark on a journey of discovery of how important the food industry is to Canada and all Canadians.

2

Employer and Employee Expectations

2 hours • Workplace Essentials

Workplace expectations differ in every country. Canadian workplace culture expects individuals to be competent in speaking, listening, and socializing with other people; to know the etiquette of working harmoniously with co-workers and supervisors; and to understand and respect cultural differences in the workplace. Employees are also expected to know general business etiquette, how to dress for the production floor and the office environment, and their rights and obligations in the Canadian workplace. Being familiar with and meeting these expectations are important to job success and career advancement in Canada.

3

Good Manufacturing Practices – GMP’s

2 hours • Workplace Essentials

This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to understand how GMPs support the safe manufacturing of food and how to implement GMPs.

4

Food Safety Culture & You

2 hours • Foundation Level 1

This course discusses the importance of following food safety procedures and practices when working in Canadian food companies, as these are part of food safety culture. It outlines the role of governments and food companies in protecting the food supply and identifies how consumers can be negatively affected by improper practices. It covers the important role food workers have in following procedures and telling supervisors and coworkers of food safety problems.

Participants will learn the important role of food workers have in supporting their workplace food safety culture. By following food safety practices, food workers help their employer to protect the consumer, meet government regulations and address business needs

5

Food Spoilage & Food Safety

4 hours • Foundation Level 1

This course describes the components of food safety, how food spoilage occurs, and how to prevent it. The course is designed to help new food workers understand their role and responsibilities in prevention and management of food spoilage and food safety. This knowledge is key to a successful career in the food industry. Knowing what causes food spoilage, when food is bad, how to prevent economic loss due to food spoilage and learning about employee’s role in keeping food safe is the most important skill to have when working with food.

6

Sanitation Level 1

2 hours • Foundation Level 1

This topic provides food processing industry workers with the basic knowledge related to cleaning and sanitation. It defines the terms used; introduces how to handle, prepare, and store chemicals; briefly describes the cleaning and sanitizing steps; and highlights the importance of complying with regulations and policies.

7

Workplace and Industrial Safety

1 hour • Foundation Level 1

The course reviews regulatory responsibilities for employees and employers, and the many proactive strategies employed to identify hazards, mitigate their impact and the associated Canadian federal and provincial regulatory requirements.

8

Lock-Out Tag-Out (LOTO)

1 hour • Foundation Level 1

This course provides guideline for Lock out-Tag out or lock and tag. LOTO is a safety procedure which is used in industry and research settings to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not able to be started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or servicing work.

9

HACCP Fundamentals

3 hours • Foundation Level 1

This course provides foundation level understanding of what HACCP stands for, the importance of HACCP, how HACCP is applied in the workplace and the role of every worker in a food safety culture. You will review the causes of food contamination with emphasis on the prevention of biological contamination and identifies and explains the seven HACCP principles.

Your leader in skills development.

A remarkable 1 in 8 Canadians are employed in the Canadian food and beverage manufacturing industry. When you think of businesses in this industry that are located across the country, think of the dedicated and skilled individuals that make certain food is produced with the highest safety and quality. It is easy to understand why Canada’s food and beverage sector is a leader around the globe. At Food Processing Skills Canada, it is our job to support people with the best skills development and training. We focus on businesses by providing labour market analysis, funding support, e-learning, and certification. And with our Learning & Recognition Framework – the first of its kind in Canada– curriculum, courses and accreditation will become aligned.

Join us in professionalizing an extraordinary industry.

"An organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage"

Jack Welch
late CEO of GE (1981-2001)

Our Methodology: The Learning & Recognition Framework

Our Learning & Recognition Framework (LRF) is a documented model that clearly defines each and every qualification (e.g. certificate) included within a comprehensive structure. It provides a hierarchy of recognition/qualifications, e.g. levels.

While no national governmentally administered qualifications exist for the food industry in Canada, FPSC has identified a need to clearly articulate the recognition levels within the food industry.

 

Learning and Recognition Framework

Food Processing Skills Canada’s Learning and Recognition Framework is an atypical national qualifications framework in that it is not tied to designations such as diploma or degree, but has instead organized the nationally-validated food industry competencies into a logical structure with a training focus easing understanding for employers, new hires and jobseekers. The framework includes levels customized to the food and beverage processing industry, and includes several credentials at the lower levels – micro credentials!

Employer Funding

SWPP+ provides post-secondary students with work opportunities related to their field of study and offers them the opportunity to use their academic knowledge in the workplace.

POST A JOB & HIRE A STUDENT

SWPP+ brings together employers, students and post-secondary school stakeholders to create quality work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities.

As a community of 7,600 employers across Canada, shifting perceptions of our industry and attracting the next generation of leaders becomes possible when engaging with students directly in the workplace.

And the time is right! By 2025, Food Processing Skills Canada estimates the hiring requirement will be as high as 56,000 new people or about 20% of the existing workforce for the industry to continue to grow.