EAST PEORIA, Ill. – Around 35 area agriculture and diesel equipment-related companies rolled out the red carpet for high school students attending a recent ag, diesel and horticulture career showcase at Illinois Central College’s (ICC) East Peoria campus.

Representatives from local companies, including Evergreen FS, Martin Equipment and showcase host Compeer Financial, were on hand to talk to the students about careers in their respective industries, with many offering education reimbursement for some of the two-year programs offered at ICC.

“As an employer I hate to admit this, but right now you (as students entering the workforce) are in the driver’s seat,” said Todd Reinhart, co-owner of Reinhart Ground Maintenance Co., who spoke to the students about building his business from the ground-up during opening remarks in the college’s performing arts center. “Right now, according to the Department of Labor, we’re about 5 million people short in our workforce. Any career you choose to go into, you’re going to be wanted.”

A seismic shift in the number of students eyeing two-year vocational degrees or certificate program options over four-year liberal arts educations may have been a driver behind the presence of 450 area students – reflecting a 50 percent increase over pre-COVID attendance – at the annual showcase, according to ICC agriculture professor Pete Fandel.

“I think word is starting to get out about the job demand in these industries. Pretty much every company that is here today is looking for employees because they don’t have enough,” he said. “I think the pendulum has swung. For a long while everyone thought you had to go to a four-year university and get a four-year degree, but now specific companies are requiring very specific training for jobs that they have within their industries. People are seeing more value in these (two-year) programs like ag and hort, and it’s wonderful that so many kids are here to find out about jobs in these industries.”

Fandel noted that instead of beginning their professional careers saddled with student loan debt associated with four-year universities, many graduates of ICC’s ag, hort and diesel programs – of which there are more than 70 – are debt-free and have jobs awaiting.

“Student loans can take years to pay off. If you can find that specific two-year degree or certificate that gets you that career you want, and the companies are out there to hire you, why would you spend all that money?” Fandel said. “Some of these companies here today actually pay you to go to school if you work for them after you graduate, and more and more companies are approaching us with this concept every year.”

ICC agricultural and industrial technology professor Grant Grebner agreed that the job market is wide open for students possessing a wide variety of employable skills who choose to take advantage of two-year technical programs such as those ICC offers.

“Most of our students, honestly, don’t come from farms anymore, and agriculture isn’t just sows, cows and plows anymore,” he said. “Today is an opportunity to expose those students to these potential careers and what we can do to help them reach their career goals.”

ICC is home to a 70-acre agricultural research plot where some of the nation’s top research on water quality conservation is being conducted, including recent work with woodchip bioreactors. Students are actively involved in such research programs, according to Grebner.

“It’s really turned into a huge advantage for our students that end up either in the workforce or transferring to a four-year school because of their exposure to this research at the two-year level,” he said.

Through its two-year associates in applied sciences curriculum, ICC offers agronomy specializations including plant and soil science, animal science, ag business management and precision agriculture. “You won’t have as many general education classes; most of the classes are going to be in the ag programs, which require 60 to 65 credit hours to graduate,” Grebner said.

In addition, an agricultural education program for aspiring ag teachers is being rolled out at ICC this fall, according to associate professor of horticulture Corinne Brown.

The showcase included a student and alumni panel Q and A session, industry speakers, a chance to sit in and kick the tires on heavy machinery, field demonstrations and lunch. At the conclusion of the event, organizers concurred that if the turnout and enthusiasm shown by the 450 high schoolers in attendance served as any kind of barometer, the future of U.S. agriculture, diesel and horticulture industries is secure.

“This day allowed students to see firsthand what a career in these fields could mean for them. They heard from successful alumni and current students in the programs and gained a better understanding of the potential of these career paths,” Grebner said.