Careers in Agriculture

Agricultural Apprenticeships

Agriculture is made up of farmers, ranchers, scientists, engineers, and other workers in the agriculture, food, natural resource, and environment industries.  If you are a worker interested in a career in agriculture, Registered Apprenticeships certified by the Department of Labor are an “earn-while-you-learn” model that offers opportunities to earn a salary while learning the skills necessary to succeed.    Veterans participating in Registered Apprenticeships are able to receive their GI Bill benefits while earning an apprenticeship wage.

For employers:  When you establish a Registered Apprenticeship program, you develop a pipeline through which workers can gain experiential knowledge that will help them start and stay in agriculture, and help you train and retain them.

Careers in Agriculture

If you are thinking about a career in agriculture, there are a whole host of opportunities available to you. A report released by the Department of Agriculture and Purdue University in May 2015 estimates that nearly 60,000 jobs in the agriculture, food, renewable resources, and environment fields become available every year, yet only 35,000 graduates with agriculture-related degrees are available to fill them. Explore agricultural careers here.

Employment at USDA

USDA’s Veterans Employment Program Office can help veterans interested in working at USDA with matching skills and qualifications to careers, reviewing and providing feedback on resumes, and explaining the Federal hiring process.  Click here to access more information and to read about the special hiring authorities for veterans.