Ag programs prepare students for college, workforce

BATON ROUGE – As Louisiana educators try to prepare students for a growing number of careers in seemingly divergent fields — science, technology, engineering and math, and mechanical trades — agriculture could provide common ground for training the state's workforce of the future.

High school agriculture programs consist of courses in ag sciences, basic mechanics and leadership. The wide-ranging curriculum prepares students for a variety of technical or college programs, said Joey Blackburn, assistant professor in the LSU College of Agriculture's newly created Department of Agricultural and Extension Education and Evaluation.

The exact coursework is often tailored to the needs of local economies, Blackburn said. For example, schools in farming communities may focus on ag sciences and economics, while those in towns with industrial plants may emphasize mechanics and welding.

"When you get away from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, you have communities that are a little more stand-alone," Blackburn said. "There's more space between communities, and it can be very important to make sure that people stay in those rural areas and that they have skills that bring value to the local economy."

Many Louisiana high schools traditionally had ag and shop teachers, but those vocational programs hit a low point in the 1980s and 1990s, Blackburn said. Fewer people were farming for a living, yet class curricula and FFA activities were slow to change, which deterred students leery of traditional agriculture.

Ag classes were originally geared toward farm kids and taught them how to run a farm, said Kathy Conerly, Louisiana FFA executive secretary. The curricula today encompass a variety of topics because they were all skills people would use to farm.

Coursework was updated as the business and science side of agriculture grew, driving greater efficiency in the field and a need for more education. Enrollment in ag programs is at an all-time high, Blackburn said, and even urban schools are becoming interested in adding programs.

However, close to one-third of Louisiana's ag teachers are near retirement age, Conerly said. New teachers are in short supply but high demand, which is good news for LSU agricultural education students like Emily Manuel and Brad Coleman, seniors who will soon graduate and be looking for jobs.

Manuel and Coleman are both student teaching at high schools near Baton Rouge this semester. Coleman, who is teaching at Springfield High School in Livingston Parish, recently had his freshmen students build birdhouses. The project brought together many skills like adding and subtracting fractions, safely using power tools and following instructions.

Many students learn better if information is presented in a real-life context, Blackburn said. The new department's curriculum includes courses from across the College of Agriculture — from entomology to horticulture — and covers topics such as lab management and safety, lesson plans and advising FFA chapters. Graduates can use their degree not only to become teachers but also extension agents, farm loan officers and public relations specialists.

"Ag businesses want to hire people who know ag and know people," Blackburn said.

In the classroom, the broad-based ag education curriculum has helped Manuel teach to students with varying interests. Some of her students at Assumption High School want to go to college, while others plan to enter the workforce.

"I knew in high school that I was college bound, but I was interested in animal science and other ag-related courses in addition to traditional college prep classes," said Manuel, who attended South Beauregard High School near Lake Charles. "While my ag experience prepared me for college, that same experience prepared my classmates for other paths after high school. I feel that ag courses in high school can reach a wide range of students and prepare them whether they go to college, trade school or enter the workforce."

Career Development Events, which are contests in FFA, provide students training beyond the classroom and push them to do well, Manuel said. The contests range from public speaking and writing marketing plans to judging meat and identifying plants.

Conerly said the work ethic and self-confidence fostered by FFA can transfer to any career field.

"Companies tell us, 'Give me a kid that can come to work on time, that can communicate with adults and their peers, and work cooperatively, and I can train those kids for whatever job I need,'" Conerly said.

Agriculture and technical subjects are now recognized by the Louisiana Department of Education as Jump Start pathways — courses that high school students must take to receive a Jump Start Career Diploma upon graduation. The pathways prepare students for high demand, high paying jobs, Conerly said.

According to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, welding and similar trades are among the top 25 fastest-growing occupations in the state, with about 650 openings available annually.

It is also important to train the next generation of farmers, who annually raise crops worth millions of dollars to Louisiana's economy, but are aging quickly. The average age of a Louisiana farmer is 58.5, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Plant breeders, pathologists and other scientists are in growing demand, too, as life science companies work to satisfy the food and fiber needs of an increasing world population.

Coleman believes teaching agriculture in high schools is key to meeting those challenges.

"People always think of, 'Oh, well that's plows and cows, or shop boys just welding in a shop.' Agricultural education has developed to be something that is more than that — teaching students real-life skills and personal development and leadership," Coleman said. "When your program is able to implement that, then automatically students are able to become more productive members of society, and the economy would only be able to benefit by having more people who are qualified to enter the workforce."