The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) has announced a partnership with the University of Guelph’s School of Continuing Studies (SCS) to deliver practical, industry-informed human resources (HR) training tailored specifically to farm and rural business operations.
Through this collaboration, the University’s new Certificate in People Management will include a tailored elective stream, HR for Agriculture and Rural Enterprises, co-developed with CAHRC to reflect the unique HR realities of farm operations and rural businesses, the organization says.
This program is designed for farm owners, managers, rural business operators, and team leaders who often manage teams without the support of dedicated HR professionals. Learners will gain essential HR knowledge for their business through an online asynchronous format via the University of Guelph.
“CAHRC brings a strong understanding of the agriculture industry and decades of experience in human resource management and labour market research to this partnership,” says Jennifer Wright, executive director of CAHRC. “By combining our close connection to primary producers and agri-businesses with the University of Guelph’s academic excellence and robust delivery infrastructure, we’re building a meaningful collaboration to deliver practical, high-quality HR training tailored to the needs of Canada’s agriculture sector."
This certificate program complements CAHRC’s Ag HR Micro-credential Program, helping scale training delivery and increasing national reach. Agriculture-specific micro-credentials within the certificate will cover essential topics such as:
- Managing seasonal and temporary workers
- Navigating domestic and international labour laws
- Promoting safe, healthy farm workplaces
- Embracing cultural and language diversity in rural teams
Upon completion, learners will receive University of Guelph–branded digital badges, affirming their commitment to workforce excellence and continuous development.
