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Twelve Coordinator Positions Available: Extension Foundation and ECOP WorkForce Development Program Action Team Launches AgriProspects Workforce Development Network

 

Summary

NEW Application Due Date: November 17th, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET.

Application Link: https://webportalapp.com/sp/agriprospects

Positions Available: AgriProspects Regional Network Coordinators, AgriProspects Regional Content Coordinators
Time Frame: This is a five-year grant project. Support for each position is a flat $25,000 per year beginning on or about January 1, 2024. Funds can be used by the recipient to support the portion of an FTE commensurate with the incumbent’s current rate of salary and benefits. Contracts will be on a year-to-year basis subject to annual review and renewal.

Full Position Description

The Extension Foundation, in partnership with the ECOP Workforce Development Program Action Team, is seeking dynamic, collaborative individuals to help lead the AgriProspects Workforce Development Network. AgriProspects, supported through a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture AFRI Education and Workforce Development Competitive Grant 2023-67037-40533, establishes a National Working Group supported by six Regional Working Groups focused on growing and refining the national portfolio of Extension workforce programs. AgriProspects seeks to align the supply of trained workers to the demand for agricultural jobs by developing and delivering a national agriculture workforce development framework.

To accomplish this, AgriProspects will create a living clearinghouse leveraging a variety of technologies to organize and share CES’s agriculture workforce development offerings. Implementation mini-grants will assist Extension programs in developing, expanding, or accelerating innovative workforce programming. Lastly, AgriProspects will connect workforce intermediaries to CES skill development programs that cultivate upskilling, credentialing, and participant readiness to successfully join or rejoin the ag workforce.

Twelve individuals are needed to fill the Regional Content Coordinator and Regional Network Coordinator roles across each Cooperative Extension region (one of each role for the 1994s, 1890s, North Central, Northeast, Southern, and Western). These critical positions will help build and engage our national network of partners working to provide access to skills training and credentialing across the five-year life of the grant.

AgriProspects Regional Network Coordinators

The key responsibility of the Regional Network Coordinators is to plan and carry out national and regional education and outreach activities. They will be responsible for building relationships with workforce intermediaries to gain insights into their needs, coordinating and reviewing submissions for the Implementation Mini-Grants program, continually identifying new opportunities to expand the network, and developing creative engagement strategies to strengthen connections within the existing network. Additionally, the Network Coordinators build long-term capacity by assessing community needs and organizing collaborative grassroots projects to help meet these needs and bring people together locally. They focus on building widespread relationships, spurring engagement, fostering collaboration, and addressing needs within the network.

AgriProspects Regional Content Coordinators

The Regional Content Coordinators will serve as the direct liaison to Extension educators in their regions, assisting with identifying impactful and relevant programs and submitting them to the National Registry/Clearinghouse. The network of six Content Coordinators will collaborate to develop a rigorous system and criteria to evaluate programs and determine their suitability for inclusion in the national clearinghouse, focusing on ensuring programs equitably support all learners in their journey of training, re-training, or transitioning. They will review clearinghouse entries, communicate with those entering information as needed, and directly engage with local Extension educators submitting programs to ensure information is complete, meets criteria, and addresses concerns around access and equitability. The Content Coordinators will also help inventory credentials associated with submitted programs.

The successful Coordinator will demonstrate existing knowledge of workforce development, knowledge of Cooperative Extension program development and delivery, and a passion for building the foundations for future programmatic efforts nationwide. All Coordinators will work as a team member in coordination with the National Network and Content Lead, Extension Foundation Project Manager, and ECOP Workforce PAT leadership. Work hours are flexible, with expected workload of 10-15 hours per week, which will vary based on workload underway. Some travel will be required. A letter of support from the applicant's Extension Director is required to be considered for the position.

Time Period and Funding

This is a five-year grant project. Support for each position is a flat $25,000 per year beginning on or about January 1, 2024. Funds can be used by the recipient to support the portion of an FTE commensurate with the incumbent’s current rate of salary and benefits. Contracts will be on a year-to-year basis subject to annual review and renewal.

To apply for this position, please complete the online application here: https://webportalapp.com/sp/agriprospects

The AgriProspects Regional Coordinators are housed within the Extension Foundation, reporting to the Project Manager. This is a virtual position with some travel to meetings. Personal office equipment will be required for daily work.

Please complete the online application by November 10, 2023, for fullest consideration. All applications will be reviewed by AgriProspects Workforce Development Network personnel.

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About the Extension Foundation

The Extension Foundation was formed in 2006 by Extension Directors and Administrators. Today, the Foundation partners with Cooperative Extension through liaison roles and a formal plan of work with the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) to increase system capacity while providing programmatic services, and helping Extension programs scale and investigate new methods and models for implementing programs. The Foundation provides professional development to Cooperative Extension professionals and offers exclusive services to its members. In 2020 and 2021, the Extension Foundation has awarded 85% of its direct funding back to the Cooperative Extension System, 100% of funds are used to support Cooperative Extension initiatives. 

This technology is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension (funding opportunity no. USDA-NIFA-OP-010186), grant no. 2023-41595-41325 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Extension Foundation. For more information, please visit extension.org. You can view the terms of useat extension.org/terms.

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