Training and educational programs can help produce companies retain employees by giving them the skills to move up in an organization, aid workers in making a transition to produce from another industry, and expose young people to potential employment opportunities they may not have considered.
Jay Pack, former owner of Standard Fruit & Vegetable Company, Inc., and currently a board member at Coastal Sunbelt Produce, LLC, Misionero, and Mission Produce, Inc., and Bryan Silbermann, then CEO of the Produce Marketing Association, launched the first Career Pathways program in 2004 to address a gap in talent pursuing careers in fresh produce. It is now under the auspices of International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA).
Since then, the number of like-minded programs has proliferated, with associations, universities, and corporations putting industrywide or more targeted programs in place. Many are focused on providing employees with professional development, but some are aimed at bringing new talent to the industry.
IFPA Career Pathways
The IFPA now offers its Career Pathways programs both in person and virtually, allowing it to expand the number of universities it works with and the diversity of its participants. The programs give students an education in the entire produce supply chain and the opportunities and rewards of working in the industry.
All told, 150 students experience the program each year, with more than 1,600 participating since its inception. The biggest, the Pack Family Career Pathways program, occurs annually at the Global Produce & Floral Show, where 32 students are immersed in the industry through the expo.
TIPA Encouraging Discovery & Growth in Education
In February 2023 the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) announced it was expanding its career networking program, Encouraging Discovery & Growth in Education (EDGE), positioned as the next stage of development of the Texas A&M-based Aggies for Fresh program, which launched five years ago.
The EDGE program now reaches students at universities across Texas, including Texas Tech, the University of Texas-Austin, and the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, as well as Texas A&M. Its goal is to attract students with a variety of degrees into the produce industry.
USDA AgDiscovery
This is a two- to four-week summer outreach program aimed at the very young, namely students in middle and high schools, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Students can explore careers in agribusiness, plant and animal science, and related fields. They stay on a college campus and learn from professors, scientists, and professionals, as well as gain experience in labs, workshops, and field trips.
The USDA also has programs specifically designed for tribal students and students at historically Black colleges and universities, aimed at raising their representation in agriculture and related industries.
This is an excerpt from the cover story in the September/October 2023 issue of Produce Blueprints Magazine. Click here to read the whole issue.
