Skills in demand
Walla Walla Community College's Agriculture Center of Excellence provides students enhanced agriculture education opportunities through analysis of current and future workforce needs, curriculum enhancement and expansion, and facilitation of articulation arrangements between secondary and post secondary academic institutions. Short term technical training needs, professional-technical certificate and degree programs, and direct technical assistance comprise the Center's approach to meeting the needs of businesses and industries in the region.
Real jobs, real people
As reported by a 2004 USDA national study*, "Employment opportunities for U.S. college graduates with expertise in the food, agricultural, and natural resources system are expected to remain strong during the next five years. We expect slightly more than 52,000 annual job openings for new graduates during 2005-2010, and some 49,300 qualified graduates available each year for these positions."
New Graduates Can Expect the Best Opportunities In:
- Sales and Marketing
- Food and Nutrition Services
- Plant and Animal Genetics
- Landscape and Horticulture Crops
- Specialty Crops Production
- Environmental Science Management
- Precision Agriculture Technologies
- Plant and Animal Inspection
- Forest Ecosystem Management
- Animal Health Care and Wellbeing
- Veterinary Medical Specialties
- Food Safety and Biosecurity
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Food System Nanotechnologies
- Consumer Information Technologies
* 2004 national study conducted under Cooperative Agreement 2004-38837-01875 between the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Purdue University College of Agriculture.
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Worker Retraining Program
The partnership between WWCC and Tyson Foods, with the WDC support, provides a Basic Skills foundation for ESL and ABE students to gain entry to the college as well as supporting and integrating with Professional-Technical programs of WWCC. On the WWCC main campus, the college has established through an I-BEST grant that integrates basic skills and Professional-Technical education. Recent direct linkage of Basic Skills level 5 and 6 directly into Professional-Technical programs with associated instructional co-hosts provides team instruction and planning, leading to agriculture. Upon the closing of the Seneca plant in Walla Walla, the Seneca Response Team has aided many displaced workers by providing the assistance necessary to learn a new trade through the Worker Retraining Program . To effectively serve this new student clientele, the College has involved them in its integrated basic skills and professional-technical program (I-BEST). With an increasing number of second-language students enrolling concurrently in basic skills and professional-technical programs, the Agriculture Center of Excellence staff has worked closely with the I-BEST program staff to ensure the success of this segment. In the fall of 2004, an Economic Development conference was attended in Mexico.
Transitional Studies
The Center attempts to help all students acquire the skills needed to reach their educational and occupational goals. The Department of Transitional Studies at Walla Walla Community College offers a variety of courses and services to help students upgrade skills in reading, writing, communicating, and mathematics. High school classes that meet Washington State graduation requirements are also offered. Instruction in the English language for non-English speakers is available daily. Most instruction is individualized, and students may register at any time during the school year.
Major Factors Affecting the Market for Graduates
As reported by a 2004 USDA national study*, "Many factors will affect the market for college graduates in the U.S. food, agricultural, and natural resources system during 2005-2010. We believe the most important ones are:
Consumers and their preferences dictate that products and services derived from agricultural and forest raw materials must help maintain contemporary lifestyles. Population growth, changing ethnic and age demographics, and evolving food and health literacy strongly influence both what is produced and the expertise required to meet consumer demands.
The evolving business structures that support the U.S. food system continue to be influenced by globalization and consolidation. Expertise needs will evolve and will create a need for graduates with excellent business skills, international understanding, and leadership qualities. Graduates must deal with increasing market uncertainty, risk analysis, petroleum dependence, niche business opportunities, and global food production and distribution systems.
New developments in science and technology are being driven by changes in biosecurity, the expanding global population, health concerns, shrinking natural resources, and climate change. Emerging biotechnologies and nanotechnologies are powerful tools to increase food system efficiency. Other scientific developments help us maintain renewable natural resources. All of these require graduates with basic science skills and the ability to solve problems with scientific applications.
Public policy choices and food system security affect the market for graduates who provide public services in education, natural resource management, food assistance, and recreation. Public concerns regarding diet and health, food safety, and the environment dictate the number and kinds of graduates needed to manage regulatory programs and provide services to assist producers and others working in the food and natural resources system."
* 2004 national study conducted under Cooperative Agreement 2004-38837-01875 between the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Purdue University College of Agriculture.
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