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Cultivating Careers: Digital Badges and Durable Skills in Ag Education

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by Adam O’Neal -- Participating in the Agricultural Workforce Training for Collaborative Leadership (AWT4CL)  cohort has been a rewarding and instructive experience exploring ways to strengthen durable skills in graduates of agriculture programs. The numerous opportunities to network, share best practices, and explore new methods to improve teaching agriculture classes have been extremely valuable. Image credit: Holgerhubbs, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons . Among the various projects undertaken as part of this program was the implementation of digital badges. In collaboration with colleagues in the Agriculture program at our institution, activities were implemented in three classes for students to earn digital badges for completing activities supporting mastery of 11 durable skills identified by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) . For another study including employability skills and career preparation generally, s...
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AWT4CL 12 Employability Skills—Foundations Badge

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Author: Eric K. Kaufman     -- As America’s workforce changes, so does the nature of the work and skills necessary for success. “We know that some skills are more lasting. Skills like leadership, collaboration and communication are usually described as soft skills, but they should be referred to as durable skills” ( Auger, 2019, para 4 ). Of critical importance to agriculture’s workforce, “employees who have the underlying durable skills can be taught and retaught job skills more easily as needs, jobs, and careers change over time” ( D2L, 2019, p. 4 ).  Toward this end, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) identified 11 employability skills that are most important to stakeholders yet typically have the largest gaps in terms of readiness ( Crawford & Fink, 2020 ). Moreover, areas of rising concern include "new employees’ ability to navigate persistence, ambiguity, change, and conflict in the workplace" ( Crawford & Fink, 2020, p. 2 ). D...
Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA
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AWT4CL 11 Navigate Change and Ambiguity Badge

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Author: Curtis R. Friedel     -- You are an agent of change. By the nature of you solving problems, you create solutions that change the situation from the current status to a more desired status. We each create change that others may resist, and others may create change that we choose to accept or resist. If we consider the different aspects of change, we can better communicate about the parts of change we like, and the parts of change that are troublesome. We can assess different aspects of change to better help us Navigate Change and Ambiguity . Among many of the ways to assess change, we can consider change by its speed (slow to fast), size (small to large), sophistication (simple to complex) and style (evolutionary to revolutionary). Each of these aspects of change are independent from each other. You may want to think of various changes, both personally, nationally, and globally, and consider how they are different based on these four criteria. Another resource to c...
Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA
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AWT4CL 10 Recognize and Deal Constructively with Conflict Badge

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Author: Megan M. Seibel     -- Elevating Workforce Readiness with Digital Learning Badges: Recognize and Deal Constructively with Conflict In the workplace environment, change is inevitable. Accepting the type of change, aspects of the change, and impacts on those in the middle of it is not always easy or well-managed. The Recognize and Deal Constructively with Conflict digital learning badge (Badge 10) signifies a person’s appreciation and understanding of conflict management in the workplace. For educators and facilitators, integrating this badge into curricula reinforces essential skills that bridge the gap between academic preparation and workforce expectations. The Importance of Recognizing and Dealing Constructively with Conflict Consider the following observation from a report on "Conflict and Disagreement at the Farm" : For most of us, conflict can be a negatively loaded word. Wherever choices exist, there is potential for disagreement. Such differences, when h...
Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA
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AWT4CL 09 Understand Role in the Workplace and Have Realistic Career Expectations Badge

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Prepare Students for Career Reality: Equip Learners with Insight into Workplace Expectations -- Authors: Jama S. Coartney and Donna M. Westfall-Rudd     -- Understanding one’s role in the workplace is an underestimated yet critical skill for career success. Many early-career professionals enter the workforce full of ambition, only to be surprised by the pace, ambiguity, and evolving responsibilities of real jobs. The gap between what learners expect and what the job actually entails is often wide. Equipping students with skills to understand their role in the workplace and set realistic career expectations can significantly ease this transition and increase their potential for long-term success. This skill ranks among the top ten workplace readiness gaps, according to a study conducted by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) . The great news? You can address this gap with an Understand Role in the Workplace and Have Realistic Career Expectations ...
Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA
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AWT4CL 08 Accept and Apply Critique and Direction in the Workplace Badge

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Author: Megan M. Seibel     -- Elevating Workforce Readiness with Digital Learning Badges: Accept and Apply Critique In today’s evolving workplace, adaptability and effective communication are critical for professional growth. The Accept and Apply Critique and Direction in the Workplace digital learning badge (Badge 08) empowers learners to embrace constructive feedback as an essential tool for improvement. For educators and facilitators, integrating this badge into curricula reinforces essential skills that bridge the gap between academic preparation and workforce expectations. The Importance of Accepting and Applying Critique Receiving feedback with a positive attitude and turning it into actionable improvement is a valuable skill. In APLU's report on Critical Growth Areas for Students Today , "accept and apply critique and the direction in the workplace" is the third largest preparedness gap identified by employers.  This badge helps learners address this gap and...
Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA
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AWT4CL 07 Build Professional Relationships Badge

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From Conversations to Careers: Embedding Relationship-Building into Your Curriculum -- Authors: Jama S. Coartney and Donna M. Westfall-Rudd    -- In today’s competitive workforce, technical skills alone are no longer enough. The ability to build professional relationships—through active listening, emotional intelligence, and intentional networking—is a key factor in career success. Yet, research from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) highlights a significant gap: students entering the workforce often feel unprepared to form professional connections . The Build Professional Relationships digital learning badge (Badge 07) provides a simple, structured way for educators and facilitators to close this gap. By integrating this badge into existing curricula, you can help learners strengthen the networking skills that are critical for team leadership, collaboration, and career-readiness. Introducing the Badge for Building Professional Relationships At the ...
Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA
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AWT4CL 06 Transfer Knowledge from One Situation to Another Badge

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Author: Celeste Carmichael     -- In a world that demands adaptability and creative problem-solving, the Transfer Knowledge from One Situation to Another Badge (Badge 06) recognizes a learner’s ability to apply knowledge and experiences to new, often complex contexts. This badge showcases critical reflection and demonstrates how mastery in one area can fuel success in another. Why Knowledge Transfer Matters in Agriculture Transferring knowledge is essential in fields like agriculture. For instance, a farmer adopting pest management techniques from one crop to another can improve sustainability and address challenges posed by changing climates. For instructors, this badge emphasizes the value of problem-solving and innovation, encouraging students to connect learning across disciplines and real-world situations. What is the Transfer Knowledge Badge? Earning a Transfer Knowledge badge recognizes learners who can connect learning across contexts - from classroom to work, l...
Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA
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AWT4CL 05 Realize the Effect of Decisions Badge

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From Classroom to Career: Equip Students with the Tools to Think Ahead -- Authors: Jama S. Coartney and Amy White     -- In a world where almost daily, AI is transforming how we work, the value of human-centered skills like decision-making, collaboration, and communication is more important than ever. In a 2017 study of “Employability Skills Not Learned in College,” the largest gap in preparedness identified by employers was "realize the effect of decisions."  For more information about this gap and others, check out the APLU report on Critical Growth Areas for Students Today . Educators can equip learners with these critical thinking and interpersonal competencies by integrating digital learning badges—like the Realize the Effect of Decisions  digital learning badge—into their curriculum. This approach promotes deeper learning, and it provides learners with tangible credentials to showcase their career-readiness. Digital learning badges are a powerful way ...
Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA
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