Core occupational competencies for secondary agricultural education programs as identified by Ohio agricultural business and industry

The purpose of this study was to determine the critical core occupational competencies for secondary agricultural education programs as identified by Ohio agricultural business and industry. The method used to generate this information was an item analysis of the competencies that industry experts identified as core competencies in the Ohio Competency Analysis Profile (OCAP) process. OCAPs are a source of competencies that agricultural educators use to teach the essential skills needed for employment in agricultural careers.

The study identified the importance of and relative time spent on core competencies in 10 agricultural occupations, determined the critical core of occupational competencies in each of 10 agricultural occupations, and determined the common core of critical occupational competencies across all 10 agricultural occupations. A survey of Ohio agricultural business and industry workers was conducted.

The competency lists for this study consisted of 10 agricultural education OCAPs developed by the Vocational Instructional Materials Laboratory at The Ohio State University. The OCAP lists consisted of: Agricultural Production, Agricultural Sales and Service, Agricultural/Industrial Mechanical Technician, Animal Management Technician, Floriculture and Greenhouse Worker, Forest Industry Worker, Meat Processor, Nursery and Garden Center Worker, Resource Conservation, and Turf and Landscape Worker.

Conclusions included:

1. Competencies in the general safety precautions unit: demonstrate safe work habits, maintain safe work environment, and operate equipment and vehicles were ranked among the 20 most important competencies in all 10 agricultural occupations.

2. One competency in the general safety precautions unit, operate equipment and vehicles, was the only competency ranked among the top 20 competencies on relative time spent in all 10 agricultural occupations.

3. A critical core of occupational competencies was identified for each agricultural occupation.

4. Each agricultural occupation is so highly specialized that a substantial common core of critical occupational competencies in agricultural occupations could not be identified.

Selected recommendations included:

1. Given that the competencies in the general safety precautions unit are the most important competencies in all agricultural occupations, agricultural educators should concentrate on preparing workers with general safety precaution competencies.

2. Because a critical core of occupational competencies can be identified, agricultural education programs that need to determine the occupational content for the program should concentrate on the critical core competencies for the occupational focus of that agricultural education program.

3. Because the common core of critical occupational competencies across all 10 agricultural occupations is not substantial, agricultural education programs cannot be generic agricultural education programs with a common core of critical occupational competencies for program content. Agricultural education programs should be occupationally specific.