Opportunities in Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources: Iowa Career Pathways, December 2021

Iowa’s agriculture, food and natural resources professionals provide the very foundation for which other industries and communities may thrive. Whether turning a faucet for a cup of water, flipping a switch to light a room or picking up a piece of food to eat, people around the world rely on our small, but mighty state to produce safe, affordable and reliable food, water, electricity, fuels, medications, and other products. This demand is expected to continue to grow and with it the need to repair and improve critical infrastructure or related equipment, such as harvesters, pipelines, wind turbines, telecommunications networks and smart power grids. To meet these and similar workforce needs of industries across Iowa, the Governor’s Office established the Future Ready Iowa Initiative with a goal of 70 percent of Iowans possessing education or training beyond high school by 2025. To support this important initiative, the Iowa Department of Education partnered with the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Institute for Cooperatives, Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation, and Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association to develop this career pathways resource to highlight a wide range of exciting career opportunities in Iowa’s agriculture, food and natural resources fields