Modernizing Agriculture Technician Education in Appalachian Northeast Georgia

This project aims to address the growing need for agricultural technicians in Northeast Georgia. The agriculture industry is increasingly driven by precision technologies that maximize productivity and minimize waste and environmental hazards. These processes require advanced mechanization and global navigation satellite systems for implementation. To prepare agricultural technicians for work in precision technologies, the project will develop two agriculture technology programs that are aligned to local agricultural industry needs. These programs will be designed so that students can develop both technical and higher order competencies and industry-supported credentials. With these skills and credentials, the students will be able to enter the agricultural technician workforce at middle-skilled levels. This project aims to increase the skilled technical workforce in Northeast Georgia, thus increasing the ability of employers to recruit skilled agricultural technicians locally.

The project plans to develop two new academic programs that can prepare students for technical work in modern agricultural industries: Agribusiness; and Modern Diversified Agriculture. Two complementary goals will be pursued. The first is to develop experiential, diversified curricula specific to the needs of the local agriculture industry. The second is to recruit and retain Appalachian students in these agricultural technician programs. The curricula will be designed through a partnership with the agriculture industry and local agriculture advisory committee members. The curricula will focus on providing students with hands-on opportunities in the context of learning laboratories. The project will engage a pool of student who are largely untapped due to a lack of awareness of the available positions and a lack of access to the technical education needed to fill the positions. Information in the project annual evaluation reports will be used to measure project success, to adjust strategies, and to inform stakeholders about project progress. The project will also investigate how the community, through its higher education institutions, can engage the agriculture industry and Appalachian families and students in preparing agriculture technicians for well-paying, local jobs.