
Exploring Job Options in Rural Wisconsin
We’re thinking outside the box through this educational series geared towards high school students. When agricultural careers are mentioned, most people think first of farmers. But, while farmers are an essential part of agriculture, there are hundreds of other careers that play a role in the farming industry. Our mission is to educate students with disabilities about the vast agricultural career opportunities in Wisconsin.
An education in agriculture fuels Wisconsin’s biggest employer and largest industry. Wisconsin is in the top 10 agricultural producing states in the U.S., while careers related to agriculture attribute to 11.8% of total employment across the state — 1 out of 9 jobs.
The Easterseals Wisconsin FARM Program and the Department of Workforce Development-Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) are excited to work together to make this course available to high school students with disabilities, ages 14-21, who are potential or current consumers of DVR services. During the classes, students will learn about agribusinesses, the importance of cooperatives, and the vast number of career pathways in the agriculture industry. The instructor will get to know each student and learn about their individual career interests. We’ll provide them with materials and opportunities to make career connections, including:
- Tours of agricultural businesses
- Guest speakers & presentations
- Interviewing skills
- Exploring possibilities for job shadows or trial work experience
We want to share the possibilities of a career in agriculture to each and every student ꟷ maximizing their level of ability. We hope that these classes will inspire and encourage students to see their full potential while expanding their knowledge of agricultural careers.
An education in agriculture fuels Wisconsin’s biggest employer and largest industry…$104.8 Billion! There are many opportunities for students with disabilities to find a career in Agriculture. Within our educational series, we will explore these seven career pathways. From plants, to animals, to power structural and technical systems, natural resources, environmental service, agribusiness, to food products and processing—there’s something for everyone! It is our goal to find the pathway that best fits the interest of each student to stimulate their curiosity and excitement about the possibilities in this multi-billion dollar Industry.
With knowledge and experience in any of these fields, many doors can be opened to students looking for a job or future career. The Wisconsin workforce is currently experiencing a shortage of employees working in AG industries such as farm workers, teachers/educators, food service, large animal veterinarians, just to name a few. Below are some examples of these possibilities:
- Every job in agriculture supports an additional 1.46 jobs elsewhere in Wisconsin
- 64,100 farms are in Wisconsin
- Dairy contributes $45.6 billion while total agriculture contributes $104.8 billion
- Wisconsin is the only state offering a Master Cheesemaker
Program - Top cranberry producing state
- Wisconsin growers harvest more than 1.8 billion Christmas trees
- Forestry plays a large role in Wisconsin’s agriculture with 16 million acres of timberland
- Ranked 4th in maple syrup production
High-Growth Occupations: Many agriculture related occupations are projected to grow the fastest between 2020-2030. Some examples are:
- 68% Wind Turbine Technician
- 34% Animal Caretakers
- 20% Food Services
- 11% Machinery Mechanics