Food Processing Program Connects Careers and Families

Assiniboine opened its Food Processing Centre for Animal Proteins in Brandon in January 2020. The centre was co-funded by various organizations, including the federal government, the province of Manitoba, Manitoba Pork, Maple Leaf, HyLife, UFCW Local 832, and Brandon Hog & Livestock Show. Its primary goal is to provide students with the necessary training and experience to start their careers in the meat processing industry.

To help address financial barriers for international students hoping to enroll in the program, UFCW 832, Maple Leaf and the college partnered to create a scholarship for family members of current Maple Leaf employees. Grace and Jasmin are the first recipients to arrive, and more are on their way. Grace grew up in rural Philippines, coming from a family of hog farmers and butchers, and Jasmin grew up in the capital city of the Phillippines, Manila.

Grace’s sister Clarinda, who works at the Brandon Maple Leaf plant on the kill side, referred her into the Food Processing course at ACC.

Grace taught English in Thailand before moving back to the Philippines to teach in her community. She decided that Clarinda’s referral for the scholarship was a good opportunity and came here to Canada.

Clarinda started working at Maple Leaf in 2015, and hadn’t seen Grace in over eight years. Grace was a young teen the last time they saw each other and now she is a young adult who spends her spare time cooking, often for the both of them.

Grace’s background in education has led her to become like a big sister and a help to her teacher in the classroom. She often checks in with her classmates and helps them absorb all the information.

Jasmin was referred into the same program by her brother Jerome, who works on the cut side at Maple Leaf. She studied medical biology in Manila and is hoping to put those skills to work while she’s in school at ACC. Eventually, she’s hoping to work at Maple Leaf as a quality inspector.

Jerome came to Canada and started at Maple Leaf in 2022 because he wanted to give his young family the best life possible. Jasmin is his first family member to join him in Brandon and he’s hoping to bring his wife and kids over soon.

When the Animal Proteins scholarship came up, Jasmin had just graduated from school. This is her first time leaving home. Upon arriving in Canada, she planned to try all of our winter activities and hoped to be active outside as much as possible.

Both Grace and Jasmin are enjoying what they’ve seen in Canada so far. Even the layering up of clothing required in winter. This winter, their class went for hayride to Shilo and they really enjoyed it.

Back home in the Philippines, Grace and Jasmin didn’t know each other and led very different lives, but when they met each other in class at ACC, they became fast friends.

Both Grace and Jasmin are eager to finish school and are hopeful that they get to start their new careers at Maple Leaf.