U.S. agri-food industry faces skill gaps, survey finds

Apr 01, 2024

The U.S. agriculture and food industry are currently navigating a challenging terrain of skill gaps within its workforce. A comprehensive survey conducted by AgCareers.com sheds light on the essential skills employers are seeking and the notable deficiencies present in the job market.

Critical thinking and the ability to solve problems efficiently top the list of desirable attributes, closely followed by organizational prowess and a penchant for teamwork.

Interestingly, the survey reveals a stark disparity in the preparedness of new graduates versus experienced hires, with only 18% of new graduates meeting employers' expectations for work-ready skills, compared to 76% of seasoned professionals. This underlines a significant need for enhanced soft skill development, particularly in areas such as communication and decision-making.

Further investigation into industry-specific requirements uncovered a pressing demand for knowledge in agronomy, precision agriculture, and animal sciences, pinpointing where educational and training efforts should be concentrated.

AgCareers.com, committed to enriching the talent pool within the agri-food sector, offers this survey as a resource to guide both current and future workforce development strategies. The skills report is accessible for free to download, promising to serve as a cornerstone for addressing the skill gaps that hinder the progress of this vital industry.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.