Food and Beverage Manitoba

9 Employment Resources Abound for Newcomers By Jennifer McFee N ewcomers to Canada can enjoy a taste of Manitoba's food and beverage industry by creating connections with community organizations. Food & Beverage Manitoba and the Immigrant Centre work in partnership to provide up-to-date information and access to job postings in the industry. In addition, the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba facilitates employment support to newcomer youth. "Both organizations offer basic food safety training within their programs to help prepare newcomers for the food industry and to reduce barriers to entering the industry," says Sarah Schwendemann, director of operations and strategic partnerships for Food & Beverage Manitoba. Food & Beverage Manitoba also works closely with Manitoba Start and YES! Winnipeg Talent Hub, which offer additional supports for new immigrants. For new Canadians with an entrepreneurial spirit, local supports can help them launch their own food or beverage company. "Internally at Food and Beverage Manitoba we will be running bootcamps on how to bring your food or beverage product to life. We are excited about the variety of products being developed and will make as many spots available as we can." The organization also maintains close partnerships with organizations such as World Trade Centre Winnipeg, Futurpreneur, Business Development Bank of Canada, Farm Credit Canada and Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development. Those partnerships ensure professional business supports are available for new companies. If needed, Food & Beverage Manitoba can connect with professional translators in more than a dozen languages. Many recent immigrants face additional barriers to finding safe employment, and these resources help break down roadblocks. These challenges could include language barriers and lack of credential recognition. "Settlement organizations also help newcomers find their new community here in Manitoba," she says. "These organizations help people find roots in their new home so they can begin to branch out into next steps like employment." In Schwendemann's current role, one of her responsibilities is to develop community partnerships and strategically connect to employers and government. "People often only think of front-line food production, which is a great entry-level position, but there are other opportunities as well. There are positions in marketing and communications, business development, retail, innovation and product development, human resources, and facility management or administration. Our industry is evolving and dynamic and always has room for growth," she says. Schwendemann adds that ethnocultural communities are at the heart of food in Manitoba. "From pierogis and sauerkraut to samosas and falafel, many of our companies are founded in ethnocultural diversity and will continue to rely on Manitoba's growing immigrant workforce demographics." Food & Beverage Manitoba is developing a strategy to ensure the industry has tools to safely bridge the gap between a highly motivated newcomer workforce and an employee recruitment and retention crisis. "We're very excited to bring everyone to the table to help bridge this gap," she says. "We truly believe that healthy and engaged communities translate directly into healthy economies and industries." For more information, please check out: Canadian Muslim Women's Institute Immigrant Centre YES! Winnipeg Job Connections Portal Opportunities for Employment Manitoba Start Futurpreneur MANSO newcomer resources Schwendermann says Food & Beverage Manitoba is dedicated to providing employment resources for newcomers to Manitoba.

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