Summer Student Positions for OMAFRA based in Harrow

Job Posting: Student Horticulture Assistant 
Organization: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Division/Branch: Economic Development Division / Agriculture Development Branch
Job Term: Temporary (1 position) for up to 16 weeks
Location: Harrow, Ontario
Salary: $14.85 / hour, based on a 36.25 hour work week

Are you serious about making your mark, getting hands-on work experience and learning more about careers in the Ontario Public Service? These positions will provide an excellent opportunity for those interested in a career in horticulture production, research or the agricultural sector. This position will provide the opportunity to learn about the horticulture crop sector within the province.

Duties:

• Assist with summer applied research and demonstration projects conducted by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Horticulture Staff.
• Projects may focus on greenhouse vegetable production practices e.g.: production systems, nutrition, pest management, and others.
• Field work might include farm tours, field scouting, identification and monitoring of insects and crop diseases.
• Assist staff with the setup of research experiments, collection and analysis of data for the projects.
• Assist staff with the collection and analysis of on-farm samples and data for research projects.
• Assist staff to gather existing and conduct new literature reviews and develop written reports and presentation materials on key initiatives.
• Assist in the coordination of events, programs and projects (e.g. workshops, demonstrations, field days etc.) working with key stakeholders and clients in delivery of programs and information.
• Office work might include providing customer service assistance, assisting with issue management, research, data collection and database management, assisting with the production of technical information such as newsletters, etc.

What we are looking for, please review the qualifications for this position:

• You apply your interpersonal skills to work within a multi-disciplinary team and participate in meetings.
• You apply your observational skills and attention to detail to conduct research, field monitoring and data entry.
• You apply your written communication skills to prepare a variety of documents (e.g. reports, factsheets, and articles).
• You are familiar with computer-based software applications including MS Office, Internet and databasemanagement software (i.e. Excel) to perform data entry, conduct analysis, prepare reports, track andcompile information.
• You can work in an outdoor or greenhouse environment with some light physical activity involved,including light lifting.
• You work independently or as part of a team; you plan, organize and prioritize your work to meetcompeting deadlines.
• You are familiar with farming and crop production.
• You are willing to travel to rural locations (frequently not accessible by public transportation).
• You must have a minimum Ontario G2 Driver’s Licence.

How to apply:

• You must demonstrate how you meet the eligibility criteria, skills and experience we are looking for clearly, completely and concisely. We rely on the information you provide to us.
• You must be a resident of Ontario.
• You must be eligible to work in Canada.
• You must be between 15-24 years of age (up to 29 with disability) on the first day of employment.
• You must be currently enrolled in a secondary or post-secondary school or have completed all academic requirements for graduation within 6 months of first day of employment.

  You must provide your cover letter and resume electronically in one file to cara.mccreary@ontario.ca: PDF, WORD, plain or rich-text format (.pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt and .rtf). Or you could provide your cover letter and resume on paper to:

  Cara McCreary
  OMAFRA
  2585 County Rd. 20, RR #2
  Harrow, Ontario
  N0R 1G0

If you have a disability and require accommodation to apply please contact Cara McCreary.

Posting Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Closing Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2020