Core Ideas: Interaction with industry through industry feedback or internship would expose students to practical problems, technologies, management practices, and issues facing modern agriculture. Practical experience is often lacking in current agriculture industry applicants. Certificate programs should be given increased emphasis in agricultural curricula. Agricultural education in the United States faces a critical challenge to fulfill the needs of the agriculture-related workforce due to the shortage of qualified graduates. Among the various reasons for this shortage, the most alarming include (1) the decrease in student enrollment, (2) the often narrow disciplinary approach of agricultural curricula, and (3) the lack of practical, experiential training. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the perception of various industry representatives regarding the performance of agricultural graduates and to determine the type of agricultural degree programs that best serve industry needs. Results from survey responses accumulated from various agricultural industry representatives indicated low proficiency levels of agricultural graduates in various fields, especially for hands-on experience in an agricultural setting and practical exposure to agricultural production systems. The study also indicated a need to modify agricultural curricula by (1) incorporating input from industry, (2) increasing dynamism in the curricula, and (3) incorporating a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary approach. Results also emphasized the importance of certificate programs mainly for current industrial employees as a tool to bridge educational gaps and enhance professional development. © © 2017 by the American Society of Agronomy
Author Keywords
Index Keywords
