By Andi Anderson
Purdue University Extension community development regional educator Tanya Hall has been selected as the north central region content coordinator with the AgriProspects Workforce Development Network. This network is a collaboration between the Extension Foundation and the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy’s Economic and Workforce Development Program Action Team, supported through funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
The AgriProspects project, led by Hall and her team, is supported through a USDA NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Education and Extension Workforce Development competitive grant.
AgriProspects aims to foster regional cooperation, identify workforce ecosystem gaps, and offer collaborative, adaptive solutions to local and regional employment challenges.
Hall will focus on increasing awareness of and expanding access to Extension resources, enhancing skill levels, facilitating credential attainment, and preparing participants for successful entry or reentry into the workforce.
Hall and a team of extension regional coordinators will work towards achieving key project objectives, including:
Creating a Dynamic Clearinghouse: Organizing and sharing Extension’s adult workforce development (AWD) offerings for the agricultural sector.
Developing a Sustainable Network: Supporting a network of Extension educators and industry partners to align Extension’s agricultural AWD offerings with real-time industry needs.
Connecting Stakeholders: Linking employers, workforce intermediaries, and the agricultural workforce to Extension’s skill development programs for upskilling, credentialing, and readiness.
Supporting Program Evolution: Facilitating the creation, evolution, expansion, and integration of Extension AWD programs locally, regionally, and nationally through AgriProspects’ mini-grant funding.
Hall leads Purdue Extension’s workforce development efforts, prioritizing work with the 12 north central states and their respective land-grant institutions during this grant period.
“Workforce development is a national issue and Purdue Extension has a long history of providing skill-based education and training to Indiana residents to help them advance their careers and volunteer efforts,” Hall said. “We are providing leadership in helping the national effort to catalogue the ongoing efforts in adult agricultural workforce development programming and elevate the opportunities for collaboration across land-grant institutions.”
Through this initiative, Purdue Extension and AgriProspects aim to significantly impact workforce development in the agricultural sector, ensuring that participants are well-prepared to meet the industry’s evolving needs.
Photo Credit: purdue-university
Categories: Indiana, Education