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Agricultural Facility Manager
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:
| Starting | $20.39 |
|---|---|
| Overall | $24.01 |
| Top | $27.16 |
Interest in handling machinery and equipment; and in participating in the provision of services
Interest in co-ordinating and maintaining financial and operational records; and in hiring and training workers
Interest in negotiating with farmers and farm managers regarding services
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
In general, seed cleaning plant managers identify weed seeds and supervise purity control of cleaned grain. They:
Working conditions around seed plants can be dusty and noisy. However, technological improvements have reduced this problem. Some of the work involves manual labour. The amount of lifting required varies with the type of facility. At plants that bag seed, plant managers may need to do some heavy lifting. Minimal lifting is needed at plants that do not bag seed.
Seed cleaning and conditioning plant managers must observe safety precautions to avoid injury when operating machinery and equipment. They must be comfortable with heights and variations in temperature. In some cases, they must wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
Hours of work may be flexible.
Seed cleaning plant managers need:
They should enjoy operating machinery and equipment. They should like taking a methodical approach to co-ordinating and maintaining records. They should be at ease negotiating with farmers and farm managers.
There are no formal educational requirements for working in a seed cleaning facility. However, there are requirements for working in facilities that have been approved by the Canadian Seed Institute or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. These include a driver’s license and Grader training. Employers may prefer job applicants with related post-secondary education.
Seed cleaning plant managers must be willing to take training and upgrade skills as needed. They must be knowledgeable about:
Since they are responsible for operating a business with very few employees, they also need a working knowledge of:
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
For a broad list of programs and courses that may be related to this occupation try searching using keywords.
Seed cleaning plant managers who clean pedigree seed must be certified by the Canadian Seed Institute. Those who dispense pesticides must be licensed. See below for details.
Pesticide applicators use pesticides (chemicals) to control pests, such as weeds, diseases or destructive insects or animals, as part of their paid employment.
Pesticide dispensers sell and store pesticides as part of their paid employment.
Under Alberta’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act [pdf] and Pesticide (Ministerial) Regulation [pdf], to apply a commercial-class pesticide such as insecticide, herbicide or fungicide you must be one of the following:
To sell pesticides you must be a certified dispenser. The 2 types of dispensers in Alberta are:
Certification for applicators and dispensers require successful completion of an exam. A preparatory course is available through home study materials or classroom tutorials.
Individuals may become certified in one or more applicator classes. For detailed official information, read about the pesticide applicator and dispenser certification requirements on the Government of Alberta website.
Pesticide applicator and dispensers who are certified by and in good standing with a regulatory organization elsewhere in Canada may be eligible for certification in Alberta if certified pesticide applicators and dispensers in the two jurisdictions have similar responsibilities and competencies. For more information, see What if I am already certified in another province or territory in Canada? and the Government of Alberta website.
Alberta Environment and Parks
Government of Alberta
9th Floor, South Petroleum Plaza 9920 108 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2G8
Canada
Call: 780-538-6460
Toll-free within Alberta: 310-3773, then 780-538-6460
Toll-free outside Alberta: 780-944-0313
Website: www.alberta.ca/environment-and-parks.aspx
Seed cleaning plant managers usually start as operators in seed cleaning facilities. With on-the-job experience, they may be promoted to managing operator or manager.
Experienced seed cleaning plant managers may become grain elevator managers. They may become representatives for agribusiness companies, such as chemical or seed sales representatives. They also may move into agronomy.
Seed cleaning plant managers are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 8252: Agricultural and Related Service Contractors and Managers. In Alberta, 79% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:
The employment outlook (pdf) in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $15.00 | $34.49 | $20.39 | $18.43 |
| Overall | $17.50 | $39.84 | $24.01 | $22.62 |
| Top | $18.00 | $41.21 | $27.16 | $26.00 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Public Administration | $54,317 |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | $54,072 |
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $52,845 |
Alberta Seed Industry Partnership website: www.seed.ab.ca
Canadian Seed Institute website: csi-ics.com
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Updated Mar 31, 2019. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.