Stomp Pork Farm Recruits Employees From China and the Philippines

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

When finding enough qualified employees becomes a challenge, attracting immigrant workers with the right credentials becomes an attractive solution. That is what Stomp Pork Farm of Leroy, Saskatchewan, has undertaken to do, according to Human Resources Manager Corrine Kelly.

“We have a partnership with Canada Livestock Services out of Lloydminster, and they do recruitment in the Philippines and China for us. Lately, we have been focusing on the Philippines because Filipinos seem to be the right candidates for our farm. A connection was made between the manager of a large pork co-operative in the Philippines and a human resources consultant with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food's Livestock Development Branch, and we took it from there.”

Kelly says Stomp Pork Farm recruits 10 per cent of its workers from other countries because there are simply not enough trained hog barn workers in Canada and Saskatchewan. Stomp Pork Farm employs 100 people at its head office in the Rural Municipality of Leroy and 300 people in total across the province.

“We look for a minimum of three years experience in a hog production unit, in combination with some agricultural diploma or certificate. In order for them to be eligible for the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, potential employees must have experience in hog production."

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) is a provincially administered program that operates under an agreement with the federal government, which allows the province to establish immigration priorities and selection criteria that reflect the particular needs of Saskatchewan employers.

The majority of Stomp's immigrant workforce is people with families, Kelly explains, "although some are single. We have probably a 50-50 split of men and women. They arrive first on a work permit, and while they are here they complete the nominee paper work. When that is approved, we can offer them permanent positions. In the barns, we find them to be very conscientious with the animals. They want to make a good living for their families."

Kelly and her team do everything possible to ensure that they keep their new workers for a long time.

“I pre-arrange housing for them. We go around town looking for accommodations for them. We stock the suites with some miscellaneous items like bedding. If it is winter, we get them some winter coats and maybe a little bit of food in their cupboards. After all, they are not going to bring everything from their kitchens to Canada. We do this so they can be a little more comfortable when they arrive, and can get going before their first pay cheque.”

Stomp Pork Farm welcomed its first immigrant workers in December 2004.

“The first group arrived from China. Our first Filipino worker arrived in March of this year, and four more will be coming in October. So far, we have welcomed 15 immigrants, plus their families," Kelly says.

“The harshness of the weather is the hardest thing for them to adapt to, as well as the small size of some of our communities—especially if they come from Manila. The Philippines is a country of 89 million people. It is densely populated there compared to rural Saskatchewan.”

Though she has travelled to the Philippines to set up the program, Kelly doesn’t believe she will have to go back there on a regular basis, because of an arrangement Stomp Pork Farm has made with Canada Livestock Services to do all the pre-selection work there.

“They read the resumes, and I go through the final selection. I have met all the workers who are coming now, but, if we do any further recruiting, I likely won’t meet them until they arrive in Canada."

Kelly says Stomp Pork Farm is very optimistic about this initiative. They strongly believe in the SINP, and in the selection criteria that has been set. Management ever underwent cultural awareness training to give them some sense of the Philippines and the type of workers they will be employing.

Kelly stresses that her company’s initiative in China and the Philippines does not take away any jobs from Saskatchewan residents.

“It is just one of a number of initiatives in the Stomp Pork Farm human resource strategy,” she says.

For more information, contact:

Corrine Kelly
Human Resources Manager
Stomp Pork Farm Ltd.
Leroy, Saskatchewan
306-286-3444
Corrinek.spf@sasktel.net