Agriculture Workforce Training for Collaborative Leadership (AWT4CL)

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

Author: Curtis R. Friedel     -- Solving complex problems can be challenging, and often more complexity in the problem requires more individuals to be involved as a team. To facilitate the problem-solving process in a team, it helps to think about the different aspects of solving a problem. These include characteristics of the individual, the desired outcome from solving the problem, the situation or context of the problem, and the problem-solving process. Each of these aspects of the problem-solving are independent of each other.  To be able to better Identify and Analyze Problems , one must better understand the complexity of problems of agriculture that affect everyone from producers to consumers. Knowing what step one is in the problem-solving process, can indicate what step is next and what technique to use. If we use the right techniques throughout the problem-solving process, we can be more effective in finding solutions that offer the most benefit. More Abo...

Author: Jama S. Coartney     -- Empowering Students Through Curiosity: Embedding the “Ask Good Questions” Badge into Your Curriculum The ability to ask good questions can be a differentiator in the workplace. Beyond the classroom, it’s about cultivating curiosity, fostering deeper understanding, and building authentic professional relationships. Yet, despite its critical role in communication and career readiness, question-asking is often an underdeveloped skill. Why “Asking Good Questions” Matters Research highlights a significant disconnect in perceptions about career readiness. While students rate themselves as fairly competent at asking questions, employers and faculty often disagree. This gap points to a need for intentional instruction and practice to better develop this skill. Asking good questions is particularly crucial in fields like agriculture, where learners frequently interact with diverse stakeholders, including farmers, specialists, and policymakers. Her...

Author: Jama S. Coartney     -- In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to communicate effectively is more than just a useful skill—it's essential for professional success. Whether talking to a farmer, consulting with an extension agent, or discussing agricultural regulations, communication skills play a crucial role. The badge Communicate Effectively—also known as "Communicate Accurately and Concisely"—highlights a key skill that helps learners develop. Improving this skill will help to build the capability to share information clearly and meaningfully. Why Does Effective Communication Matter in Agriculture? Communication is particularly important in agriculture, where people often engage with a variety of stakeholders.  Agricultural work frequently requires collaboration across multiple areas of expertise. Clear communication becomes essential for smooth, productive interactions. Digital learning badges are a tool that can help integrate learning into the curricul...

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. ...

by Samson Adeoye -- What comes to mind when you think of affordable education, workforce training, flexible education paths, transfer opportunities, local community impact, and diversity? Community colleges are perhaps your foremost thoughts. They are carriers and deliverers of such possibilities in a single package ( American Association of Community Colleges, 2022 ; Kolesnikova, 2009 ; Warner 2022 ). Community colleges are two-year colleges, originally called junior colleges, and have their origin knit into the fabric of the US education system as far back as the Morrill Act of 1862 which established Land Grant Universities ( Dury, 2003 ). Investigating students’ motivations and outcomes, Strada Education Foundation conducted research on the value of community colleges to understand how these specialized groups of educational institutions can better serve their purpose to students. The researchers collected data across the US from alumni of community colleges who graduate...