Jobs within agriculture are abundant, according to USDA data, but high school and college students do not have high interest in pursuing a career in the field. Nearly 60,000 high-skilled jobs are created annually in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and environmental fields in the U.S., according to the agency.
But only 13 percent of high school and college students are interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, according to results from a survey sponsored by Monsanto Fund program America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders.
The survey by Erickson Research collected data from a total of 1,000 respondents and analyzed the results. The survey identified several misconceptions that contributed to the findings. For example, only 35 percent of high school and college students believed careers in agriculture were technology-driven.
“One of the program’s goals is to support future agriculture leaders by helping them to understand the wide array of opportunities in agriculture, from business and communications to science, technology and many other fields,” Al Mitchell, Monsanto Fund president, said in a statement. “For example, whether you visit a family farm or a corporate operation, you will see growers utilizing technology in exciting ways many students may be unaware of, such as global-positioning systems, state-of-the-art soil quality tools and weather forecasting devices to maximize every square inch of land. But technology-related jobs are just one avenue that students can pursue with careers in agriculture.”
The survey was conducted in November, a time when many high school students are completing college applications in advance of Jan. 1, 2017 deadlines and as future college graduates are applying for jobs.
When asked to share their interest in working in various industries, the results showed 45 percent of respondents were “extremely or very interested” in a career in technology, followed by 40 percent exhibiting the same level interest for a career in arts/entertainment, 35 percent for a career in healthcare and only 13 percent for a career in agriculture.
Fewer than one in five surveyed indicated they understood the broad array of career opportunities in agriculture.
To help raise awareness of the job prospects in agriculture, the Monsanto Fund supports the America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders program. The program will award more than $500,000 in scholarships to students across the country in 2017.
The scholarships are open to students in eligible counties who are looking to enroll or are enrolled in trade schools, community colleges and four-year universities. Scholarships are awarded in $1,500 increments to students pursuing an education in an ag-related field of study. Fields include: farming, agronomy, education, science, technology, engineering, business and communications, among many others.
Students under the age of 23 can enroll in the America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders scholarship program from now through Feb. 1, 2017. Online enrollment, as well as a complete list of program rules and eligibility information, can be found at www.americasfarmers.com/grow-ag-leaders.