BLOOMINGTON, ILL – October 26, 2021 – The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff program has partnered with Blake Noland, with Birddog Workforce Scouting to target students in high school, trade school, and community college programs to entice them to explore career opportunities in agriculture.
The primary goal is to set students on a career path to become the next generation of applicators, mechanics, or even operation managers who will continue to help Illinois soybean farmers in the field, on the road, and in the shop.
Be on the lookout for short video overviews and employee spotlights with industry partners. “Behind the Bean” is a series of videos that will feature a diverse group of participants including individuals from non-ag backgrounds, that will be performing said jobs with little to no experience or training in order to provide an authentic expectation of the role.
ISA hopes to reach students who are seeking an alternative to a traditional four-year college experience, such as trade and vocational educational opportunities, that will directly help soybean farmers across the state.
“The ‘Behind the Bean’ video series is a great opportunity to demonstrate that agriculture is for everyone. The video series presents career opportunities that don’t require students to acquire a burdensome student loan, and instead, offers non-ag individuals access and invitation into this diverse industry,” says Noland.
Through this project, ISA will also be working to host competitions, providing hands-on learning opportunities, and spotlighting schools across Illinois that are providing alternative career paths for students.
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org.
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