Labourers in food and beverage processing
Career Overview
Labourers in food and beverage processing do packaging, material handling, clean up and other basic activities involved in processing food, beverage and related products.
People in this occupation work in food, beverage and associated products processing and packing plants, such as:
- Fruit and vegetable processing plants
- Dairies
- Flour mills
- Bakeries
- Sugar refineries
- Meat plants
- Breweries
Job Titles
Duties
Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing perform some or all of the following duties:
- Transport raw materials, finished products and packaging materials throughout plants and warehouses manually or using powered equipment
- Measure and dump ingredients into hoppers of mixing and grinding machines or mobile tank trucks
- Feed flattened boxes into forming machines to construct containers
- Remove filled containers from conveyors and manually pack goods into bags, boxes or other containers
- Clean work areas and equipment
- Check products and packaging for basic quality defects
- Help machine and process control operators with their duties
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
10,185% Employed Full Time
49%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Work takes place in an indoor plant environment
- Working with machinery poses the risk of causing injury
- Workers may be exposed to noise and strong, unpleasant odours
Career Pathways
There is some movement among occupations in this group. Labourers in food, beverage and tobacco processing may, with experience, progress to machine or process operating positions.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- There is some mobility among occupations in this unit group
- Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing may progress to machine or process operating positions with experience
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Academic/Basic Upgrading
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
10,185Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 115 | 1.1% |
| Kootenay | 110 | 1.1% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 8,505 | 83.5% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 40 | 0.4% |
| Northeast | 15 | 0.1% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 905 | 8.9% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 500 | 4.9% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
6,230Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 20 | -1.5% |
| Kootenay | 30 | 0.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 5,600 | 1.9% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 10 | -0.5% |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 420 | 0.0% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 160 | 0.2% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4,640 |
| Wholesale Trade | 690 |
| Retail Trade | 430 |
| Agriculture and Fishing | 120 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 70 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.
Career Videos
Watch the video below to learn what a typical day is like for a packaging associate.
Watch the video below to learn what a typical day is like for a packaging associate.
