AgCareers.com, AgrowKnowledge Release Valuable Report on Skilled Labor
June 12, 2009
AgCareers.com
There is a need for an increase in the awareness, education and recruitment of skilled professionals within the agriculture industry, according to the results of a recent survey of employers, educators and active skilled professionals.
The survey was conducted jointly by AgCareers.com, the leading supplier of human resource services to the agriculture industry, and AgrowKnowledge, the national center for agriscience and technology education, to assess the current state of industry-wide skilled labor training and employment.
The survey data was compiled and released in a free report called the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Skilled Labor Outlook Report. It is available on AgCareers.com with no charge to encourage agriculture professionals to use the information.
“The information we gathered is valuable to our industry because it can be utilized as companies plan for future recruitment needs,” said Ashley Collins, education coordinator for AgCareers.com. “The data can also be used to determine best recruitment and retention practices.”
Director of AgrowKnowledge, Rick Parker, said the report is also beneficial to faculty and staff at two- year educational institutions because it will help to generate ideas on effective methods for attracting employers to their campuses.
"Students enroll in technical education programs to gain the skills and knowledge to obtain a job, so it’s critical that the faculty fosters connections between the students and industry professionals,” Parker said.
Some of the survey findings include:
· Of the employers surveyed, 40 percent said that 51 to 75 percent of their workforce is comprised of skilled professionals, and only 23 percent said that skilled workers constitute 76 to 100 percent of their workforce.
· Fifty nine percent of employers anticipate increasing their recruitment of skilled professionals for their company in the next five years.
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