Speaking at an September Ag Outlook Forum, co-hosted by Agri-Pulse and the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City, Pederson shared her thoughts on education, specifically as it relates to the Ag sector.  

Meanwhile, members of the millennial generation can be picky about what employers they will work for, said Torree Pederson, President of Aligned, a nonprofit business coalition based in the Kansas City area.

“They want family-friendly practices and they want companies who demonstrate sustainability,” Pederson said during a panel discussion at the Ag Outlook Forum, co-hosted by Agri-Pulse and the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City in September. “The reality is, they can be picky because there are two jobs for every one of them looking.”

Pederson said new graduates care deeply about the world’s environment and want a company that feels the same way. She said the agriculture sector has a great opportunity to fill these needs, but communication with students must start much earlier than college.

“It’s not just farming; they have to know about the jobs out there in this industry. We have to talk to them in grade school, middle school and then in high school,” Pederson noted.