Posted: 11.18.2010

Misunderstanding - misinformation - it all factors into displaced workers and unemployed college grads looking past agriculture as a career pathway.

Thursday, the Wisconsin Ag Education and Work Force Development Council will meet in Madison to try and change that situation.  Jack Ourada, executive director of the council and past farm credit banker in north east Wisconsin, says that when people think of agriculture - they think of farmers.

"They don't think of all the agronomists, lenders, mechanics - that it takes to run agriculture," according to Ourada.  Even job centers and guidance counselors can be misinformed when it comes to career aspects for their clientele.

Ourada says the 30 plus council that he oversees is charged with trying to change that perception - and get the pipeline full of employee candidates for the future.  "This is definitely a topic that  agribusiness is aware of, and working on,"  he says. "Most agricultural companies today are projecting their employee needs five years down the road."

Ourada said some of the issues the council's reviewing are geographic requirements to be employed in many agribusinesses and the technical skill levels necessary. 

The council was recently awarded a major grant to launch educational efforts to reach out to displaced workers in many different ways.  "The grant was really set up for training purposes," Ourada says.  He says there's essentially six different ares they're currently concentrating on:
1) 2 Dairy Processing  Streams
2)  Meat Processing
3)  Orientation to agricultural careers
4)  Future Fields - which helps assist farmers with off farm income
5)  Why Ag Iinitiative - a web based network to coordinate employers with potential job candidates

"I think we're headed to a positive and successful future,"  Ourada says, "We struggled at the end of 2009, but I think we're off on a good direction in 2010 headed into 2011."

If there's an employer or employee that's interested in finding out more about the council and its work - Ourada says the best thing you can do is make your needs known!  Ourada's available to discuss what the council can do to help.  His phone number is 608-235-7148 - his email:  jack.ourada@wisconsin.gov
Website:  http://wiaglink.org/



 

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