The KDA (Kansas Department of Agriculture) just released the results of a survey of agricultural businesses in Kansas. Here is the first sentence of that report: “A lack of a skilled agricultural workforce is a top inhibitor of growth and expansion for many Kansas agriculture businesses.” The shortage covers the gamut from entry level positions to those requiring advanced degrees with over fifty percent of the vacancies in three areas; agriculture mechanics, agriculture business and animal science. Another finding was, to quote the release: “Employers indicated that basic skills such as written communication and applied mathematics are lacking in applicants, along with “soft” skills such as motivation, time management and dependability and “hard” skills such as critical/analytical thinking and basic communication/writing.”
The last quote here is from the Secretary of Agriculture: “We are committed to growing agriculture in Kansas, and that depends on a reliable and thriving workforce,” said Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey. “We know that means developing and recruiting skilled, talented workers to fill critical roles across the Kansas agriculture industry.” These findings aren’t good news for agriculture in Kansas, yet there really is a silver lining for the state and citizens, especially in our area. So what is that silver lining?
1. There are jobs in the area where salaries range from decent to very good with excellent benefits waiting to be filled in all phases of agriculture. Much better wage and benefit packages than typically found in traditional retail and service sectors.
2. Agricultural employers are looking for employees with good essential (soft) skills and they need not necessarily have a background in agriculture. Age isn’t a restriction, young or older. More and more women are entering all phases of agriculture. Industry realizes there aren’t enough “Ag people” to fill the jobs. However, acquiring a good background through post-secondary education is definitely a plus and moves an employee out of entry level positions and wages more rapidly.
3. The training mentioned need not be a four-year degree in most cases. A two-year degree, certificate, or in some cases certain classes and training is all that is needed.
4. Barton Community College has certificate programs in Crop Protection and Beef Cattle Production allowing individuals to obtain necessary skills in these two areas in two semesters. Total credit hours needed range from 23 to 37 credit hours. And these classes count towards an Associate’s Degree in Crop Protection, Agricultural Business Management, or Agriculture.
5. All Barton Workforce Training classes emphasize those hard and soft skills mentioned above. Barton has had a program in place for almost a decade based on the very “Essential Skills” employers want and this program is constantly under evaluation for relevance.
6. These programs and courses are tailored for students wanting to work immediately in agriculture. Also classes are scheduled to maximize opportunities for students to work while attending school.
7. The Agriculture Program Advisory Board, provided input into these programs and continues to provide input on any needed changes. These programs aren’t static but constantly evolve as industry, information, and technology change.
8. There are stand-alone courses such as Crop Protection and the CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) in compressed and/or flexible time formats for those individuals working full-time.
Throughout Kansas, many community and technical colleges are working to provide the very workforce the KDA report says we need.