BY EDITH OLSON, P. Ag.
HEADOF
THE CLASS
Hit thebooks
Fall
2015
grainswest.com
45
COURSES AND PROGRAMS TOHELP YOUGET STARTED INAGRICULTURAL BUSINESS
DO YOU WANT TO GET INTO THE
business of agriculture? Or are you in it
already but need to add a specific skill?
Agriculture is a big business, involved in
local, regional, provincial, national and in-
ternational markets. To be effective in the
world of agricultural business, you do not
have to have a background in farming or
ranching, although that can be a benefit.
Indeed, a world of opportunity awaits
those from any background who are inter-
ested and willing to learn.
So what do you need? A high-school
diploma would be a great start. An interest
in and aptitude for numbers would be
good too. We’re not talking about trigo-
nometry and algebra, but about the math-
ematical skills you’ll need to understand
finance, markets, currency and econom-
ics. An aptitude for numbers will also help
you develop skills in how statistics are
used in the world of business. If you’ve got
an interest in policy and government oper-
ations, you’ll be well prepared to immerse
yourself in learning more about how they
interact with agricultural business and
your bottom line. And having a handle on
the business end is great, but you’ll also
need to develop skills in communication
so you can work effectively in a team,
whether your colleagues and partners are
in the next room or across the world.
There are a number of post-secondary
programs that will help you gain the
knowledge and skills to get ahead in the
world of agricultural business. The best
programs have industry involvement in
the design and delivery of the curricu-
lum. It says a lot when industry partners
and agencies step up to help fund new
programming aimed at helping those who
want to get into the industry or add to the
business acumen they already have. Cor
Van Raay, one of Alberta’s beef-production
icons, saw this as so crucial that he pro-
vided a considerable donation to launch
new programming that had buy-in from
industry. He’s not alone, as government
agencies and cereal, oilseed and pork
producers have also put their funds into
program development to make sure that
training meets the needs of industry.
You might be wondering how to fit
coursework in agricultural business into
an already busy schedule. Maybe you don’t
live near a post-secondary institution and
are wondering how you can access the in-
formation you seek. Some post-secondary
institutions have broken up courses into
smaller pieces called modules. By taking
the modules one at a time, you can com-
plete a course. To help you learn where
you live, and fit in learning around the
other things you do with your life, these
modules may be offered online. They have
time limits for completion that are reason-
able. For example, you may want to take
only one module to meet a professional
development skill. However, if you want
course credits, you will need to take all
the modules in the course.
While you learn, you’ll have access to
qualified instructors, many of whom have
worked or are working in the industry.
These instructors will help you achieve
success in the module, course or program
you enrol in.
You might be wondering if taking mod-
ules or courses will work for the aspect of
agricultural business you are working in
or want to get into. Agricultural business
programs have content applicable across
the livestock, grain, oilseed, finance and
marketing sectors.
So what are you waiting for? Whether
your goal is to improve your skill set or
you are just starting off in agricultural
business, check out the programs availa-
ble to you at post-secondary institutions
across the Prairies. Pick a program that
has a solid tie-in with industry and that
delivers current and meaningful material
in a way that works for you and meets
industry needs. Ask questions if you need
more information. Welcome to the won-
derful and exciting world of agricultural
business.
Edith Olson, PhD, P. Ag, is the chair for
the School of Agriculture Sciences at
Lethbridge College.
It says a lot when industry partners
and agencies step up to help fund
new programming aimed at helping
those who want to get into
the industry.
