Ontario greenhouses in need of skilled workers

According to an article published in The Windsor Star, greenhouses in the Leamington, Ontario area are in desperate need for skilled workers. The article reports that companies are searching for expert growers, as well as computer technicians, marketing personnel and tradespersons. Some companies have had to recruit as far as the Netherlands and Israel.

The story states that greenhouses have been able to rely on seasonal workers from Mexico and the Caribbean to fill positions for decades, but has become more difficult as greenhouses expand. 

St. Clair College is developing a training program for greenhouse technicians, but its training facility is in need of an update.

Peter Quiring, owner of Nature Fresh Farms in Leamington, Ontario, is quoted as saying that he looks for people who show potential and want a career when hiring for his company.

Some of the skilled jobs needed for the vegetable greenhouse industry are growers and assistant growers, production supervisors and managers, packing managers, maintenance managers and assistants, sales and marketing personnel, transportation and logistics coordinators and industrial automation experts.

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