Page 35 - Demo

Dr. Jerry Baker, dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, in the lab with ABAC student Wayne Manning.
Agriculture continues to grow as Georgia’s No. 1 industry, with an annual economic impact of more than $74 billion and 411,500 employees. Keeping the state supplied with future employees is a tremendous task.
In 2014, Governor Nathan Deal launched the High Demand Career Initiative (HDCI) to examine ways Georgia will maintain its status as a leader in the global marketplace. The HDCI report outlined future workforce trends in various industries including agriculture and food sector. The report highlighted the need for skilled employees, such as welders, scientists, agribusiness experts, and those with four-year degrees in agricultural subjects.
In an earlier report by the Joint House and Senate Study Committee, the Georgia General Assembly called for
a stronger agricultural education program throughout the state’s public school systems. This report further acknowledged a shortage of vocational agricultural teachers and the need to increase certi ed agriculture teachers to meet the demand.
According to Georgia Department of Education, the annual demand for agricultural education teachers could triple over the next ve to ten years.
The clarion call has been issued. However, the question remains: How does Georgia get more students interested in agriculture-related jobs and pursue a technical or four- year degree to meet current and future demands?
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