The Human Capital Crisis Facing Agriculture.

The current shortage of qualified college graduates in agriculture available to meet the growing workforce demand coupled with a significant decrease in traditional secondary students who will be entering agriculture colleges and universities during the next ten years points to an impending human capital crisis in agriculture.  The objective of this study is to evaluate current changes in the demographics of high school students and project the impact this will have on qualified graduates entering the agriculture workforce.  Analysis of demographics of high school students indicate that agriculture must be aggressive in recruiting highly qualified students to meet the future work force.  The projected shortage of students indicates a need to promote agriculture literacy at the junior high and even elementary level to excite non-traditional students about careers in agriculture.  Additional programs that will compliment the SSSA committee targeting K-12 agriculture literacy are needed.  In the absence of an increase in state and federal funding of post secondary education, professional societies will need to unite to develop a focused recruitment campaign.  Additionally, the agriculture industry will need to increase its support to attract highly qualified students into agriculture.