Accessible Careers
From passion to profession
CareersNOW! is committed to building an inclusive workforce and supporting people with disabilities in discovering meaningful careers within Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry.
Through free online resources, career tools, and employer connections, we empower jobseekers to explore opportunities, enhance their skills, and advance their careers with leading employers across the province.
A Bridge to the Workforce
Everybody benefits from an inclusive workforce. With roughly one in four Ontarians living with a disability, CareersNOW! is committed to connecting Ontario’s diverse and talented community of jobseekers with meaningful opportunities in Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry.
By promoting inclusive hiring practices and accessibility initiatives, we also help employers tap into a wider pool of skilled candidates while empowering jobseekers with disabilities and those who are neurodivergent to build rewarding careers.
How CareersNOW! Supports Jobseekers
CareersNOW! is a comprehensive career-building platform that helps jobseekers gain the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to succeed in Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry.
- Job Matching & Employment Support – CareersNOW! offers a free job portal, in partnership with Magnet and Careers in Food, that connects jobseekers with Ontario’s processing employers. Jobseeker also gain access to one-on-one career coaching to refine resumes, find career matches, and interview guidance.
- Virtual Job Fairs – CareersNOW! hosts regular virtual job fairs, where participants can meet employers, ask questions, and apply for open positions in real time.
- Job Ready Skills Training – CareersNOW! offers free online training courses designed to equip jobseekers with the skills employers are looking for. Developed in partnership with Food Processing Skills Canada, training includes 15 industry-specific courses covering everything from workplace safety and food handling to leadership and communication skills. Participants receive micro-credentials and a certificate upon completion, making them more competitive candidates in the job market.
- Free Mentorship and Career Resources – Jobseekers can engage with a variety of articles, videos, podcasts, and livestreams featuring industry professionals sharing their real-world experience working in the sector.
Our Commitment to Accessibility & Continuous Improvement
We value your experience in accessing CareersNOW! and its resources. To ensure we’re constantly improving to meet the needs of our users, we periodically send surveys requesting feedback on accessing our website and various CareersNOW! resources.
These accessibility surveys are available for those who have self-identified as a person with a disability or neurodivergent to help improve site accessibility and provide feedback on the kinds of tools and resources that would support exploration of the food and beverage processing sector.
The Value of Self-identification in the Jobseeker Profile
- Enables CareersNOW! to advocate with employers about the importance of diverse talent pools.
- Demonstrates an active interest in manufacturing to employers.
- More job seekers self-identifying means a greater ability to promote the talent pool and its size to employers.
- Allows registrants to provide feedback that will help improve the development of tools and resources, as well as site accessibility.
Employer Showcase
How Denninger's embraces accessibility in the workforce
As a family owned and operated business, we believe in the value and potential of every individual. Including job seekers with disabilities in our recruitment model reflects our commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We work with diversifying programs such as CareersNOW because we have found that these team members often bring exceptional dedication, reliability, and a strong work ethic to the team. These are many of the core qualities that make them excellent long-term employees. By tapping into this talent pool, we’re aiming to create stronger, well-rounded teams.
At Denninger’s, creating an inclusive and accessible workplace isn’t just about compliance – it’s about recognizing the unique strengths and needs of every individual. We approach accessibility as an ongoing, collaborative effort that begins before someone even starts working with us. Whether through alternative interview formats, in-person support during onboarding, or the involvement of external job coaches, we aim to reduce barriers and set people up for success from the initial interaction.
Once hired, we continue to tailor support based on each person’s needs. This may mean modified duties, providing structured training materials or gradually building up hours during times of transition. When a role isn’t the right fit, we remain open to reassigning based on skill set to find a better match within the organization – ensuring long-term, sustainable employment wherever possible.
Our goal is sustainable employment, and that means being flexible, responsive, and willing to adapt. Inclusion to us, means doing the work to help people not only get through the door but thrive once they’re here.
We’ve been fortunate to see many success stories over the years. One that stands out involves an Associate who joined us through a community employment partnership that supports individuals with disabilities in accessing meaningful and sustainable work. During the hiring process, we worked closely with the Associate and their employment coach to ensure the Associate had the accommodations needed to participate fully and confidently throughout the interview. This included offering alternative interview formats as well as allowing active support from his employment coach during the entire process.
After extending an offer, we provided one-on-one support in the assigned department, along with tailored training materials and open communication with the employment coach to help set the Associate up for success. We collaborated to identify effective strategies, including a consistent work schedule and clear, accessible resources.
Over time, it became clear that the original role wasn’t the right fit. In consultation with the employment coach and the Associate, we transitioned to a different position within the company that aligned more closely with the Associate’s strengths. Since then, they have excelled—working independently, with strong attention to detail and confidence in their day-to-day tasks. The Associate is now approaching their third year with Denninger’s. We’re proud to have supported their growth in a role that has provided both long-term stability and a path toward continued success.
Employer Showcase
Embassy Ingredients
Embassy Ingredients is proud to be an equal opportunity employer because we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone has a fair chance to succeed, regardless of their background, abilities, or personal circumstances. We recognize that diversity within our workforce brings valuable perspectives, drives innovation, and strengthens our company culture. This commitment allows us to attract top talent, reflect the communities we serve, and maintain a respectful, inclusive, and supportive environment for all employees.
Why Choose a Career in Food and Beverage Processing?
Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry is one of the province’s largest and fastest-growing sectors, offering a diverse range of career opportunities in manufacturing, technology, science, logistics, management, and more.
The industry provides:
- Job Stability & Career Growth – Food and beverage processing is an essential industry, making it a recession-resistant career choice with opportunities for advancement.
- Competitive Pay & Benefits – Many employers offer above-average wages, comprehensive benefits, and job security.
- Training & Professional Development – The processing industry takes pride in training and promoting employees in-house, laying a foundation for exponential career development, endless opportunities, and success.
- Work-Life Balance – Many roles in the industry offer predictable schedules and steady employment, allowing workers to balance their professional and personal lives so they can focus on what matters to them.
Whether you’re looking to launch a career or take it to the next level, CareersNOW! is your gateway to success in Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry.
Sign up today to explore job opportunities, access training programs, and connect with leading food and beverage employers.
Inclusive Employment in Food and Beverage Processing
Did you know Food and Beverage Manufacturing is Ontario’s largest manufacturing employer, employing over 125,000 people across more than 4,000 businesses? You do now. Are you curious about career opportunities with inclusive employers?
CareersNOW! encourages you to join us for a conversation with two Food and Beverage Manufacturers, Denninger’s and Embassy Ingredients, as well as Community Living Mississauga, to learn about the industry, discover how employers are making the effort to improve accessibility and provide inclusive job opportunities, and hear how job seekers with disabilities have been successfully supported to work in the manufacturing sector.
Our Partners
Workforce Diversity & Demographics
Hiring People with Disabilities
Connecting with Indigenous People
To engage with Indigenous People on careers in the food and beverage processing industry and share the potential for food entrepreneurship, CareersNOW! has partnered with the Ontario Native Education Counselling Association. This organization of First Nation Education Counsellors recognizes that the development of Native communities requires specific tools and programs and the partnership with CareersNOW! is based on this foundation.
