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If you have been working in the agricultural industry for many years, you may feel it's time to start a new chapter in your career. Many people are drawn to agricultural education jobs, as they feel inspired by the idea of shaping and nurturing the next generation of agricultural workers. A successful career in agricultural education, however, isn't always as easy as it seems. Below we explain in more detail what agricultural education jobs entail and who is well suited for a role in this area of the agricultural industry.
What is agricultural education?
Agricultural education aims to prepare students for employment in the agricultural industry. Agricultural education can, therefore, include anything from studying land management to dairy farming. The classes taught on an agricultural education course will be directly related to a specific area of agriculture, e.g. animal care or engineering.
Agricultural education can be taught at any educational level, including primary, secondary, college and higher education. Older students, such as teenagers and adults will have a more detailed curriculum and learn more career-specific skills such as farm conservation and produce marketing. Depending on the agricultural education course, there may be practical elements to the course such as grooming animals and cleaning livestock.
Do you have to have experience within the agricultural industry before applying for a role within education?
Some professionals may believe the role of an agricultural teacher is right for them before experiencing any other practical agricultural work. This is a valid career path and many agricultural education establishments will hire based on qualifications over practical experience. Some establishments, however, may wish for their teachers to have practical knowledge and real-world experience of the agricultural industry, so they are able to provide more advice and actionable guidance to their students.
Characteristics that are essential in the agricultural education sector
If you think a role in the agricultural education industry may be right for you, consider if you have any or all of the below characteristics. While the criteria listed below is not essential to become an agricultural teacher, they may help you to have a long and successful career.
1. Passion for your subject knowledge
If you are considering leaving your current agricultural role to become a teacher, you must consider whether or not you still feel passionate about working in the agricultural industry. If you are not passionate about the subject you are teaching, your day to day work will quickly become tedious and boring. A good teacher must be enthusiastic about their job to inspire the same enthusiasm and passion in their students.
2. Able to transfer your skillset
Working in the agricultural industry you may have already developed many skills that will help you as a teacher. For example, you will naturally have gained time management skills within the agricultural industry which you can transfer to your classroom. It is important, therefore, that you are able to transfer what skills you do have successfully into the classroom.
3. Strong communication capabilities
Whether emailing parents, talking with students or attending staff meetings, it is essential a teacher has strong communication skills. If you have poor communication skills you risk students misunderstanding you and learning something incorrectly that may hold them back in the future. The first step to effective communication is ensuring you take the time to listen and understand the individual you are communicating with.
4. Patience and determination
In your previous role in the agricultural industry, you may have become accustomed to instant results. Students, however, aren’t always as reliable. Students may require being taught things via multiple different methods before they truly understand and it is your job as a teacher to accommodate this. You must also be patient as students try to determine where their industry niche may be, e.g. if they are deciding between poultry or swine management.
5. Personal confidence and self-belief
Depending on the age of students you teach, some may be more unruly than others. Commanding the attention of a class full of students is not an easy task. It is important you have confidence in yourself, and in the subject you are teaching, so you can teach a class without students taking advantage of your timid nature by being disruptive.
6. Adaptable to all age groups
Agricultural education is often a unique career path as your students will often range from children to adults. It is important you able to adapt and tailor your teaching style to suit different age groups, often at a moment's notice. If you think you may struggle teaching very young students or adults, it is essential you look for a role within a high school, or for an educational organisation that only teaches a specific age group.
Think you have what it takes to become a teacher in the agricultural industry? Follow these next steps…
• Get the right qualification
Many establishments require all of their teachers to have a bachelor's degree or higher. This can vary, however, so is it wise to check for any lower teaching positions, e.g. teaching assistant, that may not require a degree.
• Get experience
If you’re looking for your first agricultural education job, showing you have practical teaching experience can help your application truly stand out. Volunteering at a local school, for example, can help showcase your teaching abilities and passion for education.
• Contact an expert agricultural recruitment agency
If you are looking for the latest agricultural education jobs and would like help securing your new career path, contacting a professional agricultural recruitment agency, such as Agrirs, can help you find the role that is perfect for you. You may also wish to use the recruitment agency's job search tool to check out the available jobs in your local area.
If you're looking for work in the agricultural sector, Agricultural Recruitment Specialists can help you find the right niche in the UK, Europe and beyond. We can assist in finding which doors are open for you with your specific background and even advice on what you could do to improve your prospects.
Agricultural Recruitment Specialists are worldwide recruitment experts in agricultural, food, farming and rural recruitment and have a variety of executive and management positions available within agriculture, horticulture and the food and rural sectors throughout the UK and the rest of the world. To find out more about our agricultural job vacancies and discuss your future career, contact our team of agricultural recruitment professionals. You can visit our website here: www.agriRS.co.uk or call our team on: 01905 345 155 or email us at: info@agriRS.co.uk
Alternatively, if you are a client looking to expand your team, whilst using a professional recruitment / headhunting solution, then please call us today on 01905 345155 or email us at: info@agriRS.co.uk
