Sector: Food and Beverage Industry

Job:  Casual Food Production Worker

Current Opportunity: September 17, 2024

Name of Group: Group lead and coordinated by Sandra Thiele working with food processing companies at the Food Processing Development Centre.

Job Description:  Sandra Thiele leads a group of part time workers who work with several Alberta companies producing at the Food Processing Development Centre.  They work in the bottling and meat processing areas.  On September 17, 2024 there is a current opportunity to work with Sandra in the raw meat area at the Food Processing Development Centre.  The main task is cutting and packaging raw meat in the cold room (up to -8 degrees). As well as working on the product production lines.

On-site training provided.

The Food Processing Development Centre online orientation course must be completed prior to September 17, 2024.

Must be able to work a full shift from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Wage: $ 17 to 18/hour pending on experience.

Note:  The wages will depend on the company this group is working for and may differ depending on the company.

Application process:  Contact  Sandra Thiele at email bootsst@telus.net or phone 780-288-3261

About the opportunity:

The Food Processing Development Centre in Leduc is a federally inspected food and beverage processing facility.  Watch this video to see examples of different types of processing activities or take a virtual tour.

Multiple Alberta companies’ produce their food and beverage products at the centre for commercial sale in grocery stores, restaurants and other markets.  Each company is responsible to hire their own casual workers to assist with their food production at the facility.  The opportunities for scheduled shifts vary depending on the company and often range from just one to three days per month to a few times per year.

Shift schedules will vary as they are company dependent.  A common shift starts at 8:15 a.m. with one expected to arrive to the facility and be dressed ready for the production floor by 8:15. Production ends around 3:30 p.m. and final clean-up is completed by 4:30 p.m. 

Responsibilities and duties:

The food production worker is part of a team assigned to tasks involved with the production process. The roles vary between different companies and the type of food or beverage produced. 

• Required to wear PPE.
• Standard PPE is hearing protection, hair net, smock, hard hat, steel toed boots/shoes and if required safety glasses and a beard net. 
• PPE is provided.
• No jewelry, fake nails or nail polish to be worn in the production facility.
• Preparing ingredients as per production requirements, including measuring, cutting and mixing.
• Operating production equipment such as mixers, ovens, packaging equipment, pallet jack in accordance with safety and quality standards.
• Attention to the cooking process.
• Inspect and verify finished products for quality, checking for consistency, color, texture, etc.
• Alerting supervisors to any deviations or defects in the finished product.
• Inspecting jars and lids before and after the filling process.
• Packaging individual products into cases.
• Prepare a Bill of Lading.
• Wrap pallets for shipping.
• Clean up and properly categorize items for inventory.
• Ensure paperwork is completed correctly.
• Keep track of and report any damaged products, jars/packages or other items.
• Some company processing activities are completed in temperature-controlled rooms, maintained at less than 10C.

Skills and qualifications:

• Ability to work with other team members.
• Previous experience in a food production environment is beneficial.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Ability to understand safety regulations and apply them while on the job.
• Confidentiality
• Ability to lift between 20 and 30 lbs.
• Ability to work a full day at a moderate pace.

Training Requirements:  Each individual who works for a company at the Food Processing Development Centre (FPDC) or the Agri-value Processing Business Incubator (APBI) is required to undergo an orientation prior to their first day of work and every year as a refresher.  The current orientation training is to be completed on-line and the training modules are:

Module 1 - Introduction to the FPDC and APBI

Module 2 - General Manufacturing Practices

Module 3 - Part 1 of Procedures to follow in the production plant.

Module 4 - Part 2 of Procedures to follow in the production plant.

Module 5 - Client/Tenant and Staff Responsibilities

Module 6 - Occupational Health and Safety

Module 7 - Quiz

Once a passing score is obtained after taking the quiz, a certificate of completion can be printed as proof that the orientation has been completed. The copy of the individual ‘s certificate of completion is submitted to the Food Safety Team for filing.

On the job training is provided for the specific task assigned. 

Salary Range: Hourly rate is at the discretion of the company and is based upon experience. This may range from $18-$25/hr.