Alberta ag-processors can apply for government funding to cover a portion of the wages of students they hire this summer.
The Agricultural Processing Industry Employment Program was developed to provide career-related employment opportunities and skill training for students. It will reimburse one-third of the wages a processor pays to a student, to a maximum of $500 a month, from May to August.
Students must be enrolled full time in a degree, diploma or certificate program at a post-secondary institution, and plan on returning in the fall or winter of 2012. Funding is limited to one student per business, with applications to be submitted jointly by the employer and student.
The deadline to apply is April 16. For additional information, call Tricia at 403-742-7567.
Another source of support for students is Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s Summer Farm Employment Program. It will provide wage support to farmers to a maximum of $400 per month, plus workers’ compensation coverage and safety training information.
Available for the months of July and August, Summer Farm Employment Program funding is available to full-time farmers with gross production of $25,000 per year. Employers must recruit their own employee, and the students must be residents of Alberta, between the ages of 15 and 24, and not a direct relative of the employer.
Application forms and detailed information can be obtained online at www.agriculture.alberta.ca, or by calling the Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM (3276). The deadline to apply is May 31.
Finally, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is organizing several agriculture and agri-food processing job fairs in the province, including one in Red Deer on May 2.
Additional information about the job fairs can be obtained by contacting Jodi at jodi.murphy@gov.ab.ca or 780-644-5379.