AgProfessional magazine is a monthly magazine that provides editorial and advertising for agronomic and business management solutions specifically to agricultural retailers/distributors, professional farm managers and crop consultants.

Read more – HERE

The balance between the skilled labor shortage and the length of time it takes to learn a trade might keep employers scrambling for needed workers for some time to come. Kate Dailey of BBC News Washington asks Mike Rowe and others for their take on the educational barriers potential workers and employers are experiencing.

Where the jobs are: Will skilled labour pay off?
By Kate Dailey
BBC News Washington

When the gypsum mines in Empire, NV closed, the town almost shut down as well.

It was another example of the declining American economy, except for one big factor: while Empire turned into a ghost town, the miners faired better, and quickly found new jobs in mines located elsewhere.

That’s because mining is one of the job markets where employers are seeing a shortage of trained workers – even as unemployment overall remains high.
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The Shop Rat Foundation is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization with a mission to advance the skilled trade industries by opening the minds of our youth by building unique and innovative projects from concept to completion.

Founded by Chris Salow, a manufacturing entrepreneur who saw the need to inspire the next generation of workers, the foundation was developed to provide hands-on educational opportunities to students who live in a society that is dissolving hands-on skilled trade education from school curriculum.

Learn more about their programs and activities – HERE

Work Vessels for Veterans (WVFV)is an all-volunteer movement assisting returning veterans to begin their civilian careers or educational pursuits by acquiring and distributing the necessary start-up tools. Founded with the gift of a fishing boat that began a commercial fishing career for a returning Iraq veteran, the foundation is expanding its outreach to other industries to assist our returning military.

Their model is unique and based on a sustainable, “pay-it-forward” dynamic. They support veteran entrepreneurs so they can establish businesses that thrive, so they can then hire more veterans creating quality jobs and career opportunities. Once the new business is profitable, WVFV becomes a beneficiary through contributions back into the organization including “gifts in kind.”

Find out more about the program and how you can help – HERE

Crumbling roads! Bridges near collapse! Obsolete railways and levees desperately in need of repair! This is the most accurate report on the Transportation Infrastructure throughout the state of California today. Rebuilding and maintaining a transportation system that can keep pace with California’s growing population and economy is among the most compelling and critical challenges facing the state today. Investment in neglected and long-overdue transportation enhancements will help overcome decades of under-funding in of the state’s most important economic assets – its infrastructure. American River College is now activating an Apprenticeship Pipeline, in order to prepare a high skilled/high wage workforce to enter into the infrastructure trades and meet the needs of employers who are embarking on the major improvements all over the state.

Find out more about their programs – HERE

The dirtiest guy on TV, Mike Rowe, is bringing flea problems and solutions to life through a multi-media educational campaign.

GATESVILLE, Texas, Oct 18, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — –As part of the campaign, Novartis Animal Health provided a donation to the Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet in support of their efforts to help care for pets of deployed military personnel.
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Pride and a Paycheck is a free bi-monthly publication in newsletter format reaching out to tradeswomen, friends, organizations and supporters. In addition, community and government employment agencies, training programs, schools and apprenticeship programs can all benefit from subscriptions to Pride and a Paycheck.

Pride includes resources, announcements, safety tips, photos, stories, art and poetry by the tradeswomen themselves as well as advice from advocates who have been working hard to recruit women into these high paid, great benefits careers. Construction workers, railroad engineers and shop craft workers, skilled manufacturing jobs, truck drivers and many other trades formerly considered for “men only” are featured in Pride and a Paycheck. Photographs of females performing the functions of these lucrative careers give inspiration and confidence to those women who are “thinking” about entering the blue collar skilled and semi-skilled trades.

Visit their website to learn more – HERE