A new study shows the agriculture industry adds nearly 60,000 jobs annually, yet only three percent of high school and college students are aware of the job prospects in agriculture.
The survey, sponsored by America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders, a Monsanto Fund program, shows just 13 percent of high school and college students are interested in pursuing a career in the agriculture industry.
The survey also identified several misconceptions that contributed to the findings. For example, only 35 percent of high school and college students believed careers in agriculture were technology-driven.
The survey questioned 1,000 respondents and found 45 percent were interested in technology careers, while 40 percent were interested in arts and entertainment careers.
To raise awareness of the job prospects in agriculture, the Monsanto Fund is supporting the America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders program, which will award more than $500,000 in scholarships in 2017.
Students can learn more online at Grow Ag Leaders dot com (www.GrowAgLeaders.com).
