Abstract:
Changes occurring in the economic arena have created a greater need for better understanding of global markets. Individuals who plan to enter the highly complex world of agribusiness are going to need specialized skills. This study examined the perceptions of agribusiness employees and students majoring in agribusiness regarding skills and experiences needed for pursuing a variety of careers in agribusiness. The results of the study indicated that both employees and students perceived that interpersonal skills, communication skills, and business and economic skills are very important for pursuing careers in agribusiness. However, they placed moderate emphasis on computer and technical skills. Further, both groups perceived themselves being moderately able to perform these skills on the job. Findings also indicated disagreement between employees and students regarding previous work experiences: students ranked participation in industry internships first, while employees ranked work on farm/ranch first. Findings suggest several implications for curricular changes in colleges of agriculture and internship needs of students.
Keywords:
skills, careers, agribusiness, experiences, employability
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