A Canadian online training program for people hired to work on hog farms has gained international attention because it is posted on swineweb, a site for the global pork industry.
The PigLEARN platform, developed by the Canadian Pork Council , provides a centralized system to deliver structured training, certify learning progress, and document compliance across a workforce.
PigLEARN was designed to meet the growing need for standardized onboarding, biosecurity preparedness, and continuous education across swine production systems. The platform currently includes 86 industry-developed training modules, with an additional 10 modules soon to be added.
According to Mark Fynn, training resources coordinator with the pork council, PigLEARN functions as a full learning management system tailored specifically to the swine industry. It enables employees to log in, access modules, and complete training online, while managers can assign modules, schedule completion timelines, and track progress in real time.
Key training areas include:
· Barn entry and biosecurity protocols
· Pig handling and welfare
· Group sow housing management
· Preparing pigs for transport
· Sow barn management and care best practices
Fynn said “this isn’t just about compliance – it’s about building confidence, improving animal care, and elevating overall barn performance.”
It is flexible enough to be useful to any size of farm.
Managers are able to create user groups by barn or role, tp assign training schedules, track completion records and demonstrate compliance for audits or certification programs
It helps train newcomers, improves employee retention, and ensures consistent training delivery across multiple sites or barns.
The platform will be showcased during the upcoming Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium, November 4–5 in Saskatoon, where producers will have the opportunity to see it in action and explore implementation strategies.
Provincial marketing boards have information on how to get the program.
