Wages in Agriculture

[cakadu]

The deadline for hiring agriculture workers to help out on the farm over the summer is fast approaching - it is May 31st. The government will help with up to 50% of the wages being paid to a maximum of $375 per month. The allowabe age for farm help is 15 to 24.

Now, if my math is right, that would amount to $750 per month being paid to someone to help on the farm. At 15 that might seem pretty decent but if you're someone in university then that wouldn't be too terribly lucrative.

In order to get some sort of interest in agriculture, shouldn't the wages be more than that, given that these same kids could go and work at other jobs and earn more money?

Sometimes it is very hard to accept that they want to have all this value-adding and more value-added goods, when wages etc. don't reflect this push towards value-adding.

On the other hand, I suppose it would get kids learning that if you want to be in agriculture, you will work for next to nothing.

[cowman]

Linda, I was auditted twice during the years I employed students under this program. On one occasion the inspector or whatever he was called, literally went out into the hayfield and shut down the student that was running the baler for two hours while he questioned him about whether or not he was actually doing farm work !!!!!
I had another student working here that was not on the program and the fellow had her so upset she was bawling....he told her she could not do any yard work or housework as part of the summer employment program.
I made sure he was aware that she was NOT employed under the program and it was none of his concern what sort of work she did !

I didn't employ any students under that program after that. I would much rather hire students and have them work the hours that are convenient to both of us, and pay them myself . On several occasions I had a part time student that worked elsewhere part time and it worked well for everyone.

[rodb]

hi Linda

It is a wage subsidy that amounts to $ 2.34 /hour (based on 160 hours /month) We have had students over the years on this program and they have to get at least minimum wage that has gone up lately. It does help to hire someone that you might not if the program was not there.
Rod

[cakadu]

Hi Rod. I hope you've managed to get the carrots planted - I sure miss them and can't wait for the new crop.

From an employers perspective it is a good thing because you do get help and can hire more kids than you would if you didn't get the help.

It seems to me that it would sure make it hard to attract kids to the industry without being able to pay a better wage. I'm not talking anything like oil pays or anything like that, but could it hurt to make the wages more attractive?

Maybe there aren't enough margins to offer more from an employers perspective.

Does anyone know if the subsidies offered in other sectors are the same as those in agriculture or are they higher or lower?

[pmckenna]

In general industry, there aren't any subsidies that I am aware of - not even for training (disappeared about 15 years ago). Only exception I know of is for Research and Development, thru IRAP of NRC, where there is no direct profit taken. As well, there's one I believe through HRDC for marketing efforts (again, co-spending but without direct profits).

[pmckenna]

There is a program for hiring students by municipalities and institutions. I chaired a foundation for several years and students used to be hired for summer grounds maintenance, and I know their salary was subsidized.

[cowman]

I find it very strange that Alberta won't help out young people looking to get a trade while the petro industry screams for skilled tradesmen. The industry itself has taken some iniative with subsidizing youg people for tradesmen. The son of a friend recently went through school to be a power engineer and was subsidized by Syncrude.
The Alberta government seems to think it is better to import workers rather than put a few dollars into the future of young Albertans? The Alberta advantage at work for Albertans?