Poultry Pro online training resource updated and expanded

1169

The Poultry Pro online training resource for poultry workers has been updated to include the  most current information, and three new modules, called Poultry Pro Plus, have been
introduced to ensure we continue to meet the diverse training needs of the sector.

Poultry Pro and Poultry Pro Plus are intended to give new poultry workers a comprehensive
overview of barn environment, feed and water, breeder and disease management, and animal  welfare, in all commercial poultry. The content is hosted and managed by the Business  Development Centre (BDC) of Ridgetown College.

“Through the support of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding program we were able  to do a deep dive into the resource to ensure the content was still up to date and meeting  industry’s need,” says Poultry Industry Council Executive Director, Ashley Honsberger.  “Through industry consultation we’ve expanded the content to include modules that look  through the lens of the poultry Codes of Practice, which are foundational to building a culture  of animal welfare in new poultry workers.”

Originally created in 2013, the content for Poultry Pro was provided by a range of industry
experts on a voluntary basis. This current iteration was reviewed by industry volunteers and the  new “Poultry Pro Plus” content was created by animal welfare specialist, Jennifer Woods.
The resource provides a deep learning experience and as such, the content is robust and can  take upwards of 25 hours to complete. Additional materials such as management guides,  videos, knowledge checks and quizzes, reading references and articles ensure participants are  engaging with the subject and really doing the work to earn a certificate of completion.

“Online training is an incredibly accessible resource which makes it a great approach to
reaching a wide geography of learners,” says Honsberger. “We receive inquiries from across
Canada and beyond because this training offers a complete review of poultry management in a  practical way.”

Poultry Pro and Poultry Pro Plus are now available on the BDC website for an affordable fee.
Certificate holders from the previous two years will be automatically registered free of charge.

The Poultry Industry Council (PIC) is a registered charitable corporation that delivers poultry  extension services, event coordination, and project and program management while supporting  research capacity for the betterment of the Ontario industry, and is based in Guelph, Ontario.

Contact information:

Ashley Honsberger
Executive Director – Poultry Industry Council
ahonsberger@poultryindustrycouncil.ca

Carlee Apthorp
Project Coordinator, BDC, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus
capthorp@uoguelph.ca

This project was funded by the Canadian Agriculture Partnership, a five-year federal-provincial territorial initiative.