November 1, 2023 (Headingley, MB) – Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) has partnered with McCain Foods to encourage high school students to explore the endless career opportunities within agriculture in celebration of Career Month in Canada. 

To kick off Career Month, an annual national event celebrating the importance of accessing meaningful work, high school students across Canada were invited to participate in Explore the Possibilities, a virtual career exploration event designed to discover the opportunities to work in the agriculture and agri-food sector.  

This morning, the Explore the Possibilities event featured a panel of four McCain employees with diverse backgrounds who shared their career journeys and insights to inspire students to consider a career in agriculture. AITC-C moderated the event, highlighting the variety of careers and opportunities at McCain, a leader in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industry and the world’s largest manufacturer of potato products.  

“Agriculture is requiring ever more diverse skill sets as we see exciting new technologies coming into the industry and use data to improve efficiency on farm and throughout the entire supply chain,” said Daniel Metheringham, Vice President Agriculture & Sustainability North America Potato. “People are key to pushing forward the industry, and there is an array of exciting roles available to help transform sustainable farming and the future of food.” 

“The future of agriculture is sitting in classrooms today,” says Sara Shymko, Interim Executive Director of AITC-C. “Thanks to the support of valuable partners like McCain Foods, we want to inspire the next generation of big thinkers, decision-makers, and leaders to be part of agriculture’s future.” 

More than 3,300 students from 58 schools across the country participated in the virtual panel earlier today. Teachers can still share the panel with their classrooms by accessing the link at AITC-C's YouTube channel.

Do you have students that are tech-savvy and creative thinkers? The Career Case: Explore Digital Agriculture Extension will spark students’ interest in the compelling world of digital agriculture. Students will learn about the various tools and technologies used in agriculture and food production, explore the relationship between technology in agriculture and everyday use, and increase their awareness of careers within this multi-faceted, ever-evolving area of the sector. This resource has been designed for students in Grades 7-9 (Grade 10-12 resource coming March 2023!) and is your opportunity to help young people see all that the future of work in digital agriculture can offer.

To read more click here.

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its ten provincial member organizations, is excited to announce the launch of thinkAG.ca, a new website aimed at getting middle years to high school students curious about careers in Canada’s agriculture and food sector.

The interactive website takes students on a journey to discover how their interests match up with careers in agriculture and food, showcased by over 70 career profiles highlighting the many diverse jobs that exist along the agricultural value chain. Students will also have access to information about post-secondary options and scholarship opportunities.

“This is the first website of its kind in Canada – guiding students to uncover how their futures can fit into the agriculture industry,” said Shayla Hertz, AITC-C’s thinkAG Manager. “We need to help students see themselves, and how their skills fit, in agriculture and food. We want them to know that people who have not grown up on a farm or with an ag background are often the most valuable additions to agriculture because they question the status quo. New and fresh perspectives are needed in an industry that’s forever growing in complexity and vital to feeding our world.”

Right now, in Canada, there are more jobs in agriculture than there are people to fill them. This website is a revolutionary way to encourage students to recognize how their interests and skills fit into the agriculture sector – rather than the other way around - and promotes finding meaningful careers in Canadian agriculture and food.

Read the full media release here.

AITC-C is proud to come together with agriculture partners to introduce youth to careers across the food sector. Together, AITC-C, EMILI, and Actua will be helping Western Canadian students from K to 12 learn about opportunities in the plant-protein, agrifood and digital agriculture sectors.

Through an co-investment project with Protein Industries Canada, Enterprise Machine Intelligence & Learning Initiative (EMILI), national STEM outreach charity Actua and Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) will help address the agriculture industry’s growing need for a skilled workforce. The program will engage youth in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba, with a particular focus on Indigenous and other under-represented groups. It will be based on Actua’s existing STEM and digital skills programming, which incorporates Indigenous perspectives and land-based learning, and expand upon agriculture curriculum developed by the partners.

Read the full media release here.