Regional Representative – Ontario

The FoodAbility project will align intersectional considerations as part of the awareness, engagement and training components that accompany this project. FPSC has numerous activities within the project that will incorporate gender related barrier considerations for employers. FPSC has a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

online course series for employers and employees on topics including Racial Diversity and Inclusion,

Unconscious Bias, Gender Diversity & Inclusion, Language Diversity & Inclusion and Abilities: Visible &

Invisible. These courses will be provided to all employers/employees of the project. The project will also be creating new online content and tools around gender equity and inclusion topics.

The project's specific objectives are to:

• To support persons with disabilities, prepare for, find and maintain employment or become self-employed,

thereby increasing their economic participation and independence.

• To assist employers, through a range of hands-on supports, to diversify their workplaces and to create inclusive and accessible work environments for employees with disabilities, assist those who support persons with disabilities in employment and employers that hire them by assisting them to increase their disability-related skills and capacities.

• To support the career advancement of persons with disabilities who are employed full-time or part-time to gain greater knowledge, experience and essential skills to advance in their careers or have more job responsibilities.

OUTLINE AND PROJECT ACTIVITIES:

As noted, the role of the Regional Coordinator (Ontario Region) is to ensure that the processors and workers receive relevant and current information on new developments in human resources, both nationally and regionally, and to ensure that local channels of communication are open and active. The following constitute the primary activities of the project:

•           To liaise with employers, employees, unions and educational stakeholders.

•           Maintain and develop communications with the food processing community.

•           Establish positive relationships with food and beverage industry experts, who may be called upon at a later date to share their expertise on project development.

•           Recruitment of participants for project advisory committees, focus groups and validation sessions. 

•           To promote FPSC’s training resources and products Recruit new members, maintain existing ones, and highlight the benefits of being part of the project.

•           Provide information and support to industry.

•           Coordinate promotional strategies with the Council’s partner educational institutes.

•           Promote industry careers to immigrant serving agencies, employment centers, and career practitioners.

•           To communicate strategic skills information back to the FPSC about related industry needs and concerns for the project.

•           Provide input to national and regional membership drives, and report on progress in the region.

•           Maintain contact with local colleges and processing plants, yearly.

•           Promote the work of the FPSC through local industry trade shows & conferences.

•           Host information sessions in processors facilities and in several communities during the year to highlight current FPSC products & services.

•           Write articles for the Councils newsletter, and for the regional section of the website. 

•           Provide contact information and coordinate course deliveries when required.

•           Provide feedback from industry on significant local human resources issues.