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NIFA Reinforces the Agricultural and Food Education Pipeline

Developing and maintaining a resilient, diverse, and capable agriculture and food science workforce is the most fundamental element for securing a productive and responsive food system along with a healthy population and robust rural economy. USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) education programs are designed to enhance the agricultural and food workforce pipeline through programs that support agricultural workforce development, increase agricultural literacy, strengthen student recruitment and retention, and build educational capacity. 

 

Workforce Development

Woman in field carrying produce. Adobe Stock

NIFA supports agricultural workforce development by offering fellowship and training opportunities that prepare students, teachers/faculty, and researchers for a variety of careers in the food and agriculture pipeline.

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Education and Workforce Development (AFRI EWD) Program provides funding to support multiple training opportunities:

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The Food and Agriculture Non-formal Education (FANE) program area priority supports content development and activities for non-formal education that foster the development of technology-savvy youth. 

The Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy (PDAL) program area priority provides K-14 education professionals (teachers, counselors, administrators, etc.) and post-baccalaureate pre-service teachers increased knowledge of food and agricultural sciences to train the agricultural workforce for the future. 

The Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Colleges (AWT) program area priority provides opportunities for the development of workforce training programs that result in students obtaining a 2-year associates degree, technical certificate, or other industry-accepted credential at Community, Junior, or Technical Colleges or Institutes.

The Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU) program area priority provides practical experience for undergraduates in agricultural research, education, or extension.

The Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships program area priorities provide stipends and research funds to Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral researchers to complete agricultural research, education, or extension projects. Doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers apply directly for these grants via their institution or by their own.

The Special Topics program area priority addresses critical challenges and opportunities in education and/or extension. Investments made through this priority area are intended to catalyze innovations or address priority issues involving education and workforce development. For example, in FY2022, NIFA offered special topics in the following areas: 

  • National Extension Clearinghouse for Industry and the Workforce (NECIW) to develop and deliver a national framework and clearinghouse for non-formal education workforce training opportunities for jobs within and supportive of the food and agricultural sector.
  • Meat and Poultry Processing Agricultural Workforce Training (MPP-AWT) addresses the development, expansion, and/or improvement of workforce training programs or stackable-credential frameworks at community, junior, and technical colleges supportive of workforce development for the meat and poultry processing sector.

     

Learning and Engagement

NIFA aims to increase the recruitment and retention of students in the pipeline through programs that promote learning and engagement. Many of these programs fund projects that develop curriculum and instructional materials and support teacher training that will ultimately strengthen students’ critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills. NIFA also offers professional development opportunities to secondary school teachers so they may incorporate agricultural STEM education into their classrooms.

Capacity Building

NIFA broadens representation within the agricultural pipeline through its capacity building programs. These programs facilitate access to higher education and support research, teaching, and extension activities at minority-serving institutions and institutions outside of the land-grant university system.

Diverse group of college students

Supporting the Next Generation

Announced in 2023, NIFA's NextGen program enables 33 Minority-Serving Institutions and over 60 partners to build, train, and sustain the next generation of Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences (FANH) professionals.

Explore NextGen Projects

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