A new study shows there are ample career opportunities for new graduates in agriculture, food, and natural resources.
Christine Wilson, senior associate dean and director of academic programs at Purdue’s College of Agriculture, says the report from Purdue University and the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture forecasts nearly 105,000 job openings annually through 2030.
“Each year, there’s only about 50,000 graduates coming out of the land grant and 1890 institutions,” she says. “There are a lot of careers and projected job openings that show continued strong demand for jobs focused on agriculture.”
She says land grant institutions use this data as a benchmark to continue to improve their educational programs. “Really what we’re trying to create is a grouping that’s more focused on jobs that are desired and looked for in those particular sectors.”
Wilson says data is specifically focused on careers in business and management, science and engineering, food and biomaterials production, and education, communication, and governmental services.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
Having grown up on a farm and attended a land grant university with training in agriculture, I was told that agriculture would always be a good field to pursue. Well, that was many decades ago, but apparently that is a persistent truth that is still applicable today. On the one hand, it is encouraging to know that the demand for ag graduates outpaces the supply. That said, it is very concerning that the demand for ag graduates outpaces the supply by such a wide margin. Any opportunity you have to encourage youth in your area to pursue a career in agriculture could help narrow that gap and provide the necessary talent to help our nation keep producing, processing, distributing and marketing our safe, affordable and nutritious food supply. Innovation will remain the key to sustainability and the future of agriculture.
Thank you for being a CAD member and caring about those ag customers in your area. You can play a central role in helping the younger generation by sponsoring a scholarship or even an internship at your dealership. Get involved with your local 4-H or FFA chapters. Helping future farmers could ultimately benefit your dealership’s future as well.
