Future Jobs for College Graduates in Food, Agriculture and the Environment

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The U of A Career Development Center has seen an increase in the number of companies recruiting students to fill agricultural and food-related job openings.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – U.S. college graduates will find many professional employment opportunities in the next five years, if they have expertise in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources or the environment, according to research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Between 2015 and 2020, there are expected to be 57,900 average annual job openings for graduates with bachelor’s or higher degrees in those areas.

The University of Arkansas’ Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences prepares graduates for professional positions in businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life.

“Bumpers College continues to see growth in areas that will be critical to feeding the world’s expanding population,” said Lona Robertson, interim dean. “Through our curriculum, we develop future leaders who are well-rounded and ready to enter and make a difference in the global workforce.”

Bumpers College has record enrollment of 2,173 students for fall 2016.

According to projections, almost half of the expected job openings will be in management and business, with another 27 percent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related fields. Jobs in sustainable food and biomaterials production will make up 15 percent while 12 percent will be in education, communication and governmental services.

Projections are based on data from several sources. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 10.8 percent increase in the U.S. labor force from 2012-22 due to job growth and openings from retirement or other replacements. Employment opportunities in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and environment occupations are expected to grow more than five percent from 2015-20 for college graduates with bachelor’s or higher degrees.

STEM areas are expected to grow with stronger job markets for plant scientists, food scientists, sustainable biomaterials specialists, water resources scientists and engineers, precision agriculture specialists and farm-animal veterinarians.

A strong market is also expected for e-commerce managers and marketing agents, ecosystem managers, agricultural educators, crop advisors and pest control specialists.

“On campus, the university’s Career Development Center has tracked and seen steady growth in recent years of the number of agricultural companies recruiting on campus and engaging with our students,” said Donna Graham, Bumpers College’s director of employer relations.

An average of 35,400 new U.S. graduates with expertise in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources or the environment are expected to fill 61 percent of the more than 57,000 average annual openings. Most employers prefer graduates with this expertise, but because more annual openings are anticipated than can be filled by graduates, employers may look to areas such as biology, business administration, engineering, education, communication and consumer sciences to fill the remaining 39 percent.

The report says graduates in these areas are essential to meet growing challenges in the U.S., but also globally, to provide leadership in providing sustainable food systems, adequate water resources and renewable energy in a world of population growth and climate change.

“Bumpers College provides career-focused education in these areas with exceptional opportunities for hands-on experience, and with a breadth and depth unmatched in the state,” said Michelle Pribbernow, coordinator of undergraduate student recruitment. “Additionally, as these fields are in high demand, we have many scholarship opportunities to help students enter these careers. There are also opportunities to support scholarships as we recruit more and more students to fill these positions.”

Graduates who are mobile, have work experience, and have technical and professional skills will have more options if they are willing to seek employment in other states or countries. Graduates who have completed internships or work experiences related to the jobs they apply for are more likely to be hired, according to the report.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.