NU President: Colleges are vital to solving the ag labor shortage issue

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NU President: Colleges are vital to solving the ag labor shortage issue

The University of Nebraska President says higher education is critical to help alleviate agriculture’s labor shortage.  

Ted Carter tells Brownfield paid internships could incentive students to find jobs in ag-related fields. “We want to be that conduit between the student and employee – the business community – and that includes the agriculture businesses to do these internships.”

Cater tells Brownfield state lawmakers appropriated $20 million for businesses to create paid internship programs. “We, the university, are not necessarily the employers off the future, but we’re the bridge that can connect the future employee to the employers and that’s why I’ve called this year the year of the paid internship.”

And, he says, another way is through Nebraska Extension. “That is to inspire the future of workforce.  In other words, these are the kids that are in elementary school and high school to want to become part of this workforce. Nebraska has a great history of that. Extension is very involved with that and it’s one of the best programs in the state.”

Carter says all 93 counties have an Extension office and more than 75 percent of farms use UNL research.

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