- - AGRICULTURAL CORE CURRICULUM - - (CLF1000) Advanced Core Cluster: AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (CLF1150) Unit Title: CAREERS IN AGRIBUSINESS ____________________________________________________________________________ (CLF1151) Topic: CAREERS IN Time Year(s) AGRIBUSINESS 1 hour 3 / 4 ____________________________________________________________________________ Topic Objectives: Upon completion of this lesson the student will be able to: Learning Outcome #: (A-2) - Describe career opportunities available in agribusiness. Special Materials and Equipment: References: Bechtel, R. (1991, August). Ag fields fertile with job opportunities. UC Davis Dateline, p. 5. Mellone, K. (1991, Nov. 6). Number of ag grads on the decline. UC Davis California Aggie, p. 3. Smith, M., Underwood, J. M., & Bultmann, M. (1991). CAREERS IN AGRIBUSINESS AND INDUSTRY (4th ed.). Danville, IL: Interstate Publishers. Resources: USDA Yearbook of Agriculture - 1986 Evaluation: Write an essay describing career opportunities in agribusiness. TOPIC PRESENTATION: CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE __________________________________________________________ ACTIVITY: 1. Have the class develop a list of activities they would consider to be part of agribusiness. Is the actual scope of agribusiness more or less extensive than the students' preliminary assumptions? __________________________________________________________ A. What is Agribusiness? 1. Agribusiness is the production, processing, and distribution of food, feed, and fiber. 2. Agribusiness is more than farming. It is also the network of services that supports production, processing, and distribution. These include: a. Transportation b. Storage c. Processing d. Credit and finance e. Insurance f. Marketing g. Manufacturing h. Research and teaching i. Government regulation and inspection 3. Everyone is dependent on agribusiness to provide food, clothing, and many of the materials used in building shelters. 4. Agribusiness employs millions of people and affords excellent career opportunities for properly educated men and women. 5. There is a growing need for agriculture graduates who have business and interpersonal skills in addition to agricultural/technical skills. 6. At the present time, many decisions about agriculture are made by people without a background in agriculture; people within the field of agriculture urgently need to acquire managerial, economic, and decisionmaking skills. B. Varying Career Areas in Agribusiness 1. Agricultural Production a. Farming b. Ranching c. Nursery Management d. Forestry 2. Supplies and Services to Producers a. Equipment Sales and Repair b. Sales of Feed, Seed, and Fertilizer c. Labor Contracting d. Custom Operations e. Product Storage f. Pest Control Services 3. Agricultural Business Services a. Accounting b. Farm Management c. Insurance f. Finance d. Engineering e. Advertising f. Broadcasting g. Marketing h. Land Appraisal 4. Manufacturing and Processing a. Agricultural Construction b. Manufacture of Production and Processing Equipment c. Product Packaging d. Food Processing e. Manufacture of Agricultural Chemicals 5. Distribution and Sales a. Transportation b. Produce Brokerage c. Grain Trading and Commodity Brokering d. Warehousing and Storage e. Retail Sales 6. Research and Teaching a. Crop and Livestock Breed Development b. Soil and Conservation Science c. Agricultural Engineering d. Agricultural Chemistry e. Agricultural Biology f. Food Science and Technology g. Agriculture Teachers 7. Government Services a. Economists b. Meat Inspectors c. Animal Health Inspectors d. Research Scientists e. Irrigation District Managers f. Cooperative Extension Service __________________________________________________________ ACTIVITY: 1. Have students share the occupations of their parents, relatives, and adult acquaintances. How many are involved in agribusiness? __________________________________________________________ C. Agriculture Fields Currently (as of 1991) in Need of Qualified Employees 1. Agricultural Marketing, Merchandising, and Sales a. During the next 5 years, 13,000 qualified applicants will be available to fill 16,000 new job openings expected in these fields--a shortfall of 18%. b. Only 45% of those competing for jobs graduated from colleges of agriculture and natural resources. 2. Agricultural Scientists, Engineers, and Related Specialists a. More than 14,000 new openings are expected annually for agricultural scientists, engineers, and related specialists, compared to less than 11,900 qualified applicants--a shortfall of 15%. b. The shortage will not be alleviated quickly because many of these positions require advanced degrees. c. The problem is especially acute in plant sciences and bioprocess engineering. 3. Managerial and Financial Fields of Agriculture a. Overall, 5,800 qualified applicants will be available for 6,800 new openings annually. b. Corporate farms often employ managerial economists with little or no biological or agricultural background, but the reverse is rarely true. c. Demand will be greatest for environmental program managers, landscape managers, and retail food service managers. d. A DECLINING demand for managers is foreseen in industries of agrichemicals, seeds, feeds, money lending, animal health products, and farm machinery. 4. Social Service Fields of Agriculture a. Overall, 4,750 new positions are expected with a supply of 4,200 qualified applicants. b. Significant numbers of new positions are expected for graduates involved in environmental planning and management. c. Demand for extension specialists and high school teachers is expected to DECLINE. d. NO GROWTH is projected for agricultural writers and broadcasters. e. Growth in the computerized information management systems is expected to generate many of the 3,700 new openings in communications annually. 5. Agricultural Production and Forest Management a. Only in the above fields is it projected that the professional labor supply will exceed the demand, with some 4,000 qualified applicants competing annually for 3,650 positions. b. Only 7.5% of all agricultural and forestry employment opportunities are expected in the production cluster. 12/12/91 EEZ/JA/sg #%&C