Bridging the Workforce Gap: A Partnership Between Academia and Horticulture Industries

Helen Kraus
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator
Department of Horticultural Science, NC State
Monday, October 28, 2019
3:00 pm
121 Kilgore Hall

Watch Live Web Seminar

Students seeking the B.S. in Horticultural Science are required to complete one career experience course – either an internship, research experience, or teaching experience. When matched with a well- structured opportunity, students report that these experiences are transformative. The out of the classroom learning during these experiences is more than just enriching – they are critical in developing a student’s preparedness for the workforce. Students often report that they are the most valuable experiences they have while pursuing their degree. However, student learning can be impaired by a lack of employer and student mentorship before and during these experiences. When talking with the state’s horticulture industry leaders, there is great enthusiasm for providing career experience opportunities as a means by which to recruit potential employees. Employers should ask themselves: Why should I host a student intern, researcher, or teacher? The answer is – Because they can add new energy to your company, can contribute on meaningful projects, or may be a future employee or graduate student!

Come join in a conversation focused on the development of a robust database of internship, research, and teaching experiences and a mentoring program for horticulture students seeking these opportunities. A successful career experience program in Horticultural Science will include a large, diverse array of opportunities that reflect the array of interests that our students have. Currently, there is no one-location platform for making and supporting these connections. Small companies, in rural communities, especially struggle with developing and recruiting students even though they are able to provide highly valuable and sought-after experiences.