CareersNOW! exists to help students, graduates, teachers, parents, and guidance staff alike understand Ontario's food and beverage processing industry — one of the cornerstones of the province's economy.

Still, many students aren't aware of the plentiful career opportunities in food and beverage processing, so CareersNOW! has launched the Future of Food Scholarship: a $1,000 award for students studying in Ontario.

How to apply for the CareersNOW! Future of Food Scholarship

The CareersNOW! Future of Food Scholarship closes on July 9, 2025. Students can apply online via the ScholarshipsCanada Application Portal.

When you apply, you'll be asked about your plans and goals for post-secondary, and to create an account at CareersNOW!. You'll also have a chance to share your thoughts on what the food and beverage processing industry means to you — and it's perfectly fine if you've never given it much thought before!

That's a Food Job! podcast

Next, you'll choose one of four episodes of the "That's a Food Job!" podcast, offered by FoodGrads.com. Here are four topics you can choose from:

• Production, with Brian Allaway, COO at Made with Local
• Supply Chain, with Joseph Lyons, Environmental Operations Coordinator at Susgrainable
• Food Safety, with Tania, Food Safety Consultant at Assured Food Safety Consulting
• Skilled Trades, with Nole Coutrouzas, VP & Business Representative for UBC Millwright Local 1916

Just listen to the podcast episode that interests you most, and then answer a few short questions about what you've learned — nothing major, as each response should be no more than 200 words.

• What surprised you most about the guest's career path?
• What skills or values that were discussed stood out to you most?
• How did this episode influence your perspective on working in food and beverage processing?

Getting creative: share your voice

Finally, we want you to get creative! Based on what you've learned, and the reflections you've developed so far, choose one of the following options to share your thoughts and feelings about food and beverage processing:

• Write a short essay (maximum of 300 words): "Why I want to work in the food and beverage industry." OR
• Create a short video (maximum of 1 minute): "My future in food: Why the food and beverage industry matters to me."

Your work may be shared on CareersNOW! and FoodGrads social media!

With this, your application is 100% done! But you can also do a couple more things to give yourself some bonus points:

Optional bonus tasks

The following tasks are entirely optional, but you'll get a bonus point on your application for each one you complete!

• Bonus task 1: Post a photo or Reel on social media showing how food influences your life or learning — be it cooking, studying, shopping, working, or something else entirely. Be sure to tag @careersnowfoodandbeverage and @foodgrads and use these two hashtags: #CareersNOWscholarship #FutureofFoodScholarship.
• Bonus task 2: Nominate a friend to apply. Know someone who might love this scholarship? Drop their email in your application! (If you both apply, you'll both get a bonus point on your application.)

Even if you've never considered the food and beverage processing industry before, the Future of Food Scholarship is the perfect time to give it a look. You might be surprised at how many cool career opportunities exist throughout the industry — and you just might win a $1,000 scholarship for your trouble!

Apply for the CareersNOW! Future of Food Scholarship by July 9.