Employers are Hiring for Your Skills

• Bonnie Johnson
• May 02, 2018
• Newsletter Article

Apprenticeships, certification training, and two-year degrees provide an economical education alternative that teaches career-ready skills. Educators and career counselors are recognizing the worker shortage and career potential in skilled trades.

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What may be a struggle for employers is good news for job seekers that don’t have a bachelor’s or advanced degree.  Ag employers tell us that they have the most difficulty recruiting for technical and hourly roles¹. The disproportionately large segment of baby boomers employed in skilled trades, and their impending retirement, adds to the expected workforce shortage in the coming years².

 

Apprenticeships, certification training, and two-year degrees provide an economical education alternative that teaches career-ready skills.  Educators and career counselors are recognizing the worker shortage and career potential in skilled trades. 

 

Many employers also appear to have flexibility in hiring the best fitting candidate without adhering to a strict education requirement.  Nearly 30% of all jobs posted on AgCareers.com last year did not list a specific minimum education level. 

 

Ag employers have consistently hired for careers that require a high school, skilled trade, or associate’s diploma.  In fact, when we examine all positions with a specified education level posted on AgCareers.com, half didn’t require a bachelor’s degree.  When we asked ag employers in the HR Review what education level was most desired, a two-year college degree was top, followed closely by a high school diploma.

 

Truck drivers, millwrights, electricians, mechanics, and welders are common high-demand skilled trade opportunities in agriculture. Additionally, candidates with associates’ degrees or technical certifications are often a good fit for roles such as custom applicators, animal caretakers, research assistants, sales, machinists, IT, and customer service to name just a few.

 

The top ten career types for jobs posted on AgCareers.com illustrate the variety of positions available to candidates with a high school, two-year diploma, or technical training:

 

TOP 10 AG CAREER TYPES
1	Sales/Retail
2	Farm & Ranch Operations/Herdsperson/On Farm
3	Accounting/Finance/Asset Management
4	Operations
5	Maintenance/Repair
6	Business Development/Strategic Management
7	Operator/General Laborer
8	Manufacturing/Production
9	Custom Applicator/Pest Control
10	Agronomist

 

Start the search for your new ag career now!  Visit www.AgCareers.com; conduct a simple keyword search, or focus your options with our advanced search.