There is nothing more important to the future of Texas AgriLife Extension Service than establishing systematic plans that are focused on recruiting and retaining a diverse and competent workforce that will better position Texas AgriLife Extension Service to address the needs of a diverse clientele.
To ensure that Texas AgriLife Extension Service begins developing a comprehensive approach in implementing strategies to more effectively recruit a more diverse applicant pool, each District Extension Administrator should develop a recruiting plan for 2010 by February 1, 2010 which includes the following;
- List of Career Fairs at Colleges and Universities including dates of these events.
- List of Recruiting Teams in District.
- List of various student groups at Colleges and Universities and their advisers and how recruiting efforts will be established with these groups. These student organizations should include organizations such as Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, Collegiate 4-H , Collegiate FFA, Block and Bridle, or Family and Consumer Science clubs that can provide an excellent opportunity for middle managers to develop relationships with potential applicants.
- Recruiting and retention goals.
- Outline of recruiting strategies in District/County within each of the domains outlined in the recruiting model discussed by Dr. Romero during the AgriLife Conference. These domains include outreach/recruitment, educational development, and professional development. It is important that District Extension Administrators have innovative strategies to interface with students in all of these domains to enhance our capacity to recruit underserved populations.
District Extension Administrators should take some time to think of new venues and strategies that focuses on interfacing with new organizations, Colleges, Universities, etc. As an example, it is important for District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors to work with the advisers of the Block and Bridle clubs at Colleges and Universities, but it is imperative that we work with advisers of groups such as Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences. In addition, District Extension Administrators may need to be developing recruiting efforts at Community Colleges in the Districts, particularly those designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions.
Remember, the deliberate steps taken today to establish innovative recruiting strategies focused on recruiting a more diverse workforce will shape the future of Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
Reference
Romero, E. W. (2009). The undergraduate recruiting and educational pipeline. Unpublished model, AgForLife, LLC.
.jpg)