Even though California is a strong and growing economy due its agriculture and its advanced technologies, labor shortages and continuous severe droughts have negatively impacted its productivity. This has caught the attention of researchers and experts from all over the world. Concerned about the future of our food sector, not only researchers but also government and academic institutions are in the process of understanding what the causes and consequences are of our current agricultural challenges. Adding to all this is a continuous increase in human population that doesn’t look like an easy equation to solve.
As the conversation between agriculture and technology becomes more integrated, there is a demand to take a look at our labor markets and its current inefficiencies. Today, not only farmers and ranchers, but also companies that supply our agriculture with services and products such as fertilizers, irrigation technologies, pest control management, and more are in need of skilled personnel. As new technologies take place in our fields allowing us to increase our production, new knowledge is required to maintain, and make the best use of them. Additionally, constraints in water and soil nutrients are calling for better-prepared workforce ready to address current challenges and find new solutions through innovation and research.
The big question arises:Â how do we make sure that future generations have the required knowledge and skills that agriculture needs for succeed?
Community colleges constitute a key piece in this equation because they design and deliver the knowledge that future generations will need to perform their jobs successfully. The Agriculture, Water and Environmental Technologies (AWET) Program is part of this collaborative initiative, and its first focus today is the San Benito County.
The AWET Program’s first goal is to learn more about our companies with services and products in agriculture. The following 12-question survey is collecting useful information from farms and businesses serving the San Benito County’s agricultural sector.
If you own or manage a business involved in agriculture (producer, supplier, etc.), we want to invite you to contribute to the improvement of our local food systems by answering this Workforce Development Survey. We really appreciate you taking the time to answer and share it with your friends and family engaged in agriculture.
The Agriculture, Water and Environmental Technologies (AWET) Program, an initiative of the Doing What Matters Framework, stimulates statewide collaboration of secondary, community college and university educators.Â
Many thanks to the San Benito County Workforce Development Board and Farm Bureau to support this initiative.Â
More information about AWET, visit:Â http://www.cccewd.net/initiative_etc.cfm.