Benefits of Career Development Events as Perceived by School-Based, Agricultural Education Teachers

Agriculture is the nation’s largest employer with more than 24 million people working in some phase of the agricultural industry; however, the knowledge and skills needed in today’s agricultural industry are lacking. Assuring future generations are agriculturally literate and taught the significance of agriculture is crucial. Systematic delivery of the secondary agricultural education program has the potential to highlight mathematics and science through classroom and laboratory instruction, provide hands-on work experiences, and develop life skills that will help students discover their career paths. Through Career Development Events (CDEs), agricultural education programs have the potential to prepare students for more than 300 careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture. However, school-based, agricultural education teachers and students may not understand fully the technical and nontechnical skills learned through CDEs. A Delphi approach was used in this study to identify benefits of CDEs, as perceived by school-based, agricultural education teachers in Oklahoma. Findings revealed teachers perceived CDEs supported the mission of career and technical education through students’ attainment of valuable career and life skills that are beneficial for employment in the agricultural industry; less agreement, however, existed about CDEs leading students to make career choices.