AMES, IOWA (RFD-TV) — A classroom resource from AgCareers.com is helping educators introduce students to the wide range of career opportunities across agriculture and food, from marketing and communications to engineering and skilled trades.
Bonnie Johnson with AgCareers.com said the Classroom Implementation Kit complements the organization’s annual career guide, giving teachers and career advisors lesson plans and activities to help middle and high school students explore potential career paths.
Expanding Students’ View of Agriculture
In her conversation with RFD-TV, Johnson said AgCareers.com has worked with the National FFA Organization for several years to develop classroom resources that connect career exploration with learning.
The kit includes lesson plans and classroom activities intended to help students better understand the agriculture and food industries and the opportunities available to them.
AgCareers.com features more than 300 career profiles, along with thousands of job opportunities at any given time, Johnson said.
The careers students can explore extend well beyond traditional farming roles.
“Anything from marketing and communications, engineering — skilled trades are particularly important now,” Johnson said.
She said the goal is to reach students before they decide on college, apprenticeships, or technical training, helping them consider the range of career paths available.
Introducing Career Options Earlier
Johnson said the organization’s career guide originally focused on college students and recent graduates looking for employers actively recruiting new talent. Over time, the need for resources aimed at younger students became clear.
“We need a resource to reach high school students before they either decide to go to college, before they determine if they want to start an apprenticeship program, maybe go to a skilled trade school,” Johnson said.
She said introducing these opportunities earlier can help students better understand the options available after graduation.
Agriculture continues to change as new technologies and business needs create additional career opportunities. Johnson said students benefit from learning about those possibilities while they consider their futures.
Lesson Plans Connect Learning with Careers
The Classroom Implementation Kit offers more than 10 activities and lesson plans that educators can adapt for their classrooms.
Topics include navigating changes in a career journey, understanding the differences between being a student and a professional, and identifying skills students can begin developing before entering the workforce.
Johnson said agriculture teachers, substitute teachers, and other educators who help young people think about their professional futures can use the materials.
“It’s really a great resource for any type of educator who’s talking to kids about careers in general and their professional future,” she said.
The materials can also support 4-H leaders and others working with young people outside traditional classroom settings.
Free Resources Available Online
Johnson said the Classroom Implementation Kit is available at no cost through the AgCareers website.
She said educators can visit the organization’s career guide page to download a file that includes a digital copy of the career guide, an overview of the resource, and lesson plans that can be personalized to fit different classroom needs.
Johnson credited the National FFA Organization’s education experts for helping create the guide and said the resource is intended to help students explore agricultural careers beyond the opportunities they may already know.
LEARN MORE: www.agcareers.com
