Agriculture Workforce Training for Collaborative Leadership (AWT4CL)

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 ...

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...

Help Your Students "Level Up" Learning: Take the Welcome Badge Tour -- Author: Jama S. Coartney     -- As educators, we’re constantly looking for ways to make learning stick—and to help learners recognize how their education connects to their futures. Digital learning badges may be able to help. This post introduces the Agriculture Workforce Training for Collaborative Leadership (AWT4CL) project Welcome Badge module . Designed with instructors and facilitators in mind, the Welcome Badge module offers a brief orientation to the AWT4CL project and digital badges. At the end of the module, there's an opportunity for you to go through the process of claiming a digital learning badge—just like your learners will need to do. How Can Digital Learning Badges Motivate Learners? Consider the success story from the Agricultural Sustainability Institute at UC Davis , where a badging system helped learners clearly connect their academic achievements with sustainable career practices. ...

Authors: Jama S. Coartney and Eric K. Kaufman     -- In today’s job market, technical know-how alone is no longer enough. Success in the workplace depends on an additional set of competencies—what employers call durable, soft, human, or employability skills. Some examples include communication, teamwork, professionalism, leadership, and decision-making. Research shows  these essential skills are often underemphasized in course design and delivery. So, how can educators close this gap and better prepare learners for success? This blog series introduces a new approach to bridging the gap between classroom learning and workforce readiness.  Digital learning badges developed by the Agriculture Workforce Training for Collaborative Leadership (AWT4CL) project can help learners build capacity. Grounded in research and aligned with employer needs, these badges target the core durable skills identified by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) a...