Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its 10 provincial members, is inspiring students to explore careers in agriculture and food this November for Canada Career Month, a national campaign initiated by the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF). By putting agri-food careers into the spotlight through its thinkAG initiative, AITC-C hopes to get Canadian teens curious about the diversity of careers available in the sector and help close the labour shortage gap. 

To celebrate Career Month, AITC-C is releasing their new Career Case game, fully launching the interactive thinkAG website, and providing some sneak peeks at the upcoming Kareero app that will be available for download this spring. AITC-C is also spearheading a 30-Day thinkAG Challenge to classrooms and parents to empower students to learn that their diverse skillset, interests, and unique background is not only needed in the agriculture and food industry, but will help to provide them with a fulfilling career that can positively impact our country and world.  

“AITC-C and its thinkAG initiative is excited to be joining Canada Career Month for the firs time ever! We want students to realize there is a place for them in the agriculture and food sector, and that they can find a meaningful career in the industry, whether or not they grew up in a farming environment,” said Shayla Hertz, AITC-C’s thinkAG manager. “Career Month is the perfect time to get these conversations happening in the classroom, around the dinner table, and on social media.” 

Beginning over 20 years ago, Career Month has been run by a collaborative group of career development professionals, educators, and organizations, and is celebrating 2021 with the inspiring theme, “it’s possible”. 

“Career Month is a really invigorating time for the professionals who work in career development,” says Rebecca McCarthy, a Project Associate and Career Month lead at CCDF. “Having a whole month that invites Canadians into conversations about the kind of work they want to do, and the kind of people they’d like to be – it’s energizing. Seeing organizations and employment sectors rise to the challenge, and celebrating the benefits of life-long career growth - these are only two of the things I love about Career Month.” 

The Canadian agriculture sector represents an important part of the nation’s workforce with 1 in 8 jobs being in the industry. Canada plays a vital role in feeding the world and includes an incredibly wide range of professions, from those who work on farms to careers in science, technology, business, and beyond. Right now, there are more jobs than graduates to fill the positions. We need more youth to understand how their food is produced and recognize that they can fill these important jobs that help feed and fuel Canada and other countries around the globe. 

Career Month runs from November 1st through November 30th. Follow along with #CareerMonth and #ItsPossible to learn how we can get Canadian students to thinkAG.