What's new with ag employment?

One panel at the Agweek Farm Show, held March 7-8 in Rochester, Minnesota, focused on ag careers.

AgweekTV's Emily Beal spoke to Jen Strand of Jobs HQ about what's happening in the ag employment scene.

EMILY: ONE OF THE PANELS WAS EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT FOR AG CAREERS. JOINING ME NOW TO DISCUSS THE TOPIC IS JEN STRAND FROM JOBS HQ. JEN, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CURRENT OBSTACLES EMPLOYERS ARE FACING RIGHT NOW?

JEN: EMPLOYERS RIGHT NOW ARE HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING EMPLOYEES, WHETHER IT IS PART TIME, FULL TIME, SEASONAL, SKILLED OR UNSKILLED. THEY'RE JUST IT'S THE PEOPLE OUT THERE AND THE JOBS THAT ARE OPEN. IT'S NOT A MATCH.

EMILY: AND THE AG INDUSTRY IS CURRENTLY FACING A SERIOUS LABOR SHORTAGE.

JEN: YES. THE AG INDUSTRY SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE AG INDUSTRY FOR YEARS AND THEIR CHILDREN MAY OR MAY NOT BE TAKING OVER THE BUSINESS AND FILLING SOME OF THAT BACK IS VERY DIFFICULT.

EMILY: WHAT KIND OF JOBS ARE AVAILABLE IN AG CAREERS?

JEN: YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT AGRICULTURE, YOU REALLY HAVE A PLETHORA OF POSITIONS. YOU HAVE SALES POSITIONS, YOU HAVE FARM POSITIONS, YOU HAVE MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN POSITIONS, YOU HAVE PARTS POSITIONS. IT COULD BE IN AN OFFICE. IT COULD BE A HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONAL. IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER. I MEAN, THERE'S ALL TYPES OF POSITIONS AVAILABLE JUST WITHIN THAT AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY.

EMILY: AND IF YOU WERE TO TALK TO SOMEBODY WHO'S LOOKING FOR A JOB IN THE AG INDUSTRY, HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST THEY GO ABOUT DOING SO.

JEN: IF THEY'RE LOOKING IN THE AG INDUSTRY, THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS. ONE, WHEREVER THEY'RE AT, THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING AT AG COMPANIES THAT ARE WITHIN THEIR AREA AND LOOK TO LOOK TO THEIR WEBSITES, GO TO FARM SHOWS, GO TO CAREER FAIRS, LOOK TO SEE WHO'S HIRING. LOOK ON WEBSITES. BUT SPECIFICALLY, IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AG, LOOK UP THOSE AG COMPANIES.

EMILY: SO WHAT ARE SOME LOCAL RESOURCES THAT CAN BE USED?

JEN: ONE OF THE BIGGEST TIPS I CAN TELL YOU IS GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, ANY OF THEM REALLY YOU KNOW, THAT SECTION OF PEOPLE IS THE ONLY GROWING SEGMENT OF THE WORKFORCE. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF BUILD YOUR PIPELINE AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THEIR AREA AND KEEP THEM, YOU KNOW, LIVING IN THE AREA THAT THEY'RE GROWING UP IN.

EMILY: WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

JEN: YES, YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU.

EMILY: JEN STRAND OF JOBS HQ.