By Alice McFarlane (courtesy of PANow)
MELFORT, Sask. – November is Canada Career Month and it’s the perfect time for youth to thinkAG.
Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its 10 provincial members, is inspiring students to explore careers in agriculture and food.
By putting agri-food careers into the spotlight through its thinkAG initiative, AITC-C hopes to get Canadian teens curious about the wide range of careers available in the sector and help close the labour shortage gap.
AITC-C’s thinkAG manager Shayla Wourms said Canadian youth are excellent candidates for careers in agricultural technology and innovation.
“People who did not grow up in a farming environment are incredibly valuable to agriculture. We want youth to know their fresh perspectives are welcomed and needed in our industry,” Wourms said.
The technological aptitudes and willingness to question the status quo are important traits for youth interested in a career in agriculture, according to Wourms.
“Throughout Career Month, we encourage teachers and parents to get these discussions happening in the classroom and at home, and we’d love to see those who work in agriculture and food showcasing their personal career journeys on social media,” Wourms said.
This year’s Career Month celebrations include the launch of AITC-C’s new Kareero app, the release of an online instructional support guide for teachers for the career exploration game Career Case, and a 30-Day thinkAG challenge for teachers and students.
AITC-C is also launching a new campaign during Canada Career Month called, ‘I Am Agriculture’ encouraging those in the agriculture and food industry to share the important role they play in this vital sector with #IAmAgriculture.
Canada Career Month project lead Rebecca McCarthy said there is an incredible opportunity to share the experiences of all sectors through a career development lens.
“November is a fantastic month to start conversations about careers, amplifying the opportunities available to students and to the Canadian public,” McCarthy said. “thinkAG shares how a career in agriculture can be a diverse and fulfilling career for life.”
The Canadian agriculture sector represents an important part of the workforce with one in eight jobs being in the industry.
Canadian agriculture includes a wide range of professions, from those who work on farms to careers in science, technology, and business. There are more jobs than people to fill the vacant employment opportunities.
Canada Career Month is a national campaign initiated by the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF).