The Why Ag Initiative is a groundbreaking statewide initiative that will be launched Feb. 22-24, 2012 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, WI. The goal of this new program, initially funded through the Workforce Investment Act and the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, is to connect students and non-agricultural workers with the emerging job opportunities in Wisconsin’s $59 billion agriculture, food and natural resources industry.
“Why Ag serves as a springboard for employment opportunities in agriculture throughout the state,” says Paul Larson, teacher and member of the Wisconsin Agricultural Education and Workforce Development Council (WAEWDC).
“Agriculture is one of the few industries that continues to present new job opportunities in several of its sectors,” he says. “A rising global population will magnify the demand for food, fiber and fuel which means that the scope of agricultural jobs will continue to grow.”
“The jobs available in agriculture today vary significantly from agricultural jobs of the past,” Larson says. “There are diverse opportunities currently available in the field; Why Ag demonstrates these prospects by illustrating the variety of positions and tasks offered in the agricultural workforce.” The WAEWDC group illustrates the diversity of agricultural jobs from engineering to biosecurity and communications to natural resource management at www.WhyAg.com (see Links on this page).
As the core portal of the Why Ag initiative, the interactive website connects students, displaced workers and those looking for increased employment opportunities with educational and employment advice. The tools demonstrate that many skillsets are transferrable between non-agriculture and agriculturally- focused jobs.
“The primary component of the website allows interested persons the chance to discover an agricultural job that is right for them based on their existing expertise and interests,” says Jack Ourada, executive director of WAEWDC. “The Skills-to-Jobs Matrix matches individual skills to position descriptions from the fields of agriculture, biotechnology and life sciences so website visitors can explore new career opportunities.”
For more information on the Why Ag Initiative, visit www.WhyAg.com or contact Ourada at 608-235-7148 or jack.ourada@wisconsin.gov.
The Wisconsin Agricultural Education and Workforce Development Council was created by Wisconsin Act 223. The group works to grow Wisconsin’s ability to compete by creating a stronger and sustainable workforce for the agriculture, food and natural resources industry. WAEWDC recommends policies and initiatives, encourages youth to pursue related careers, facilitates public and private partnerships, recruits qualified workers and offers professional development throughout the state of Wisconsin.
