Source: NCSU CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL FARMING STUDIES

Boots on the Ground: North Carolina’s Veteran Farmer Registered Apprenticeship

North Carolina is home to the 7th highest population of military veterans in the nation. Agricultural jobs offer a viable path for returning service members to transition into society and capitalize on skills that made them successful in the military. However, these opportunities may be missed due to the lack of a targeted long term training program in North Carolina. In order to meet the growing demand for farmers and local foods while increasing veteran participation in the agricultural community, we need to expand access to high quality and accessible farmer training, specifically intensive hands-on training that provides long term experience and mentorship.

As North Carolina’s first registered agricultural apprenticeship program for military veterans, Boots on the Ground: NC Veteran Farmer Apprenticeship aims to increase the pool of trained agricultural workers for management and entrepreneurial positions at farming operations in North Carolina.

Registered with ApprenticeshipNC, the state apprenticeship coordinating body, this apprenticeship includes both hands-on job training and related technical instruction. A registered apprenticeship allows veterans to use their GI bill education benefits for on the job training and the apprenticeship credential will demonstrate to future employers nationwide that apprentices are fully qualified and highlight the skills they have mastered during the program.  Apprentices are paid and will receive a raise halfway through the 12-month program if they are meeting time and competency requirements.

We are now recruiting host farms/farmers, farmer veteran mentors, and apprentices to start the first cohort in the spring of 2022.

For more information, please contact: Sara Kidd at skkidd@ncsu.edu or Dr. Angel Cruz, CEFS Academic and Extension Initiatives Manager at 919-513-0954 or aecruz@ncsu.edu.

Program Components
Apprenticeship Basics
The Program is a registered apprenticeship which has 5 basic program components:
1. Business Involvement: The farms that host the apprentices are the foundation of the program. Host farms will be chosen through an application process. Host farms oversee the apprentices on a day-to-day basis, and employ the veterans with an hourly wage. Veterans will also be paired one-on-one with another experienced farmer veteran as an additional mentor.
2. Structured on the Job Training (OTJ): Apprentices will be paid employees of the host farms so they can “earn while they learn.” They will be expected to work 30-40 hours a week throughout the apprenticeship. Each apprentice will receive hands-on-training from an experienced mentor at their host farm and are expected to meet certain hour and competency requirements.
3. Relevant Technical Instruction (RTI): Apprentices will receive technical and academic training around the core competencies identified in the curriculum. Each apprentice will have a checklist of basic farm management competencies and technical training to complete. The Project Coordinator will organize and/or facilitate formal apprentice training activities once a month; these workshops will also be open to local students, farmers, farmworkers, and other stakeholders. Apprentices can also participate in workshops, field days, trainings, and/or conferences conducted by experts in the field, such as Extension Specialists, farm associations, universities/colleges, and agribusinesses subject to approval by the program coordinator and ApprenticeshipNC.
4. Rewards for Skill Gains: The apprentices will receive pay increases after each 6-month period or when they meet certain benchmarks for skill competencies.
5. Recognized Credentials: The program will be registered with ApprenticeshipNC and upon completion, apprentices will be given an industry recognized credential.

Additional Program Benefits
In addition to a pay increase at 6 months, veteran apprentices will also be able to utilize their post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for on the job training if approved. This benefit will provide a tax-free monthly housing stipend equal to the MHA (monthly housing allowance) of an E-5 with dependents. For the first 6 months of the program, veterans will receive 100% of this stipend, and for the second 6 months, veterans will receive 80% of this stipend.

We will also tie-in farm tours across North Carolina to show apprentices the diversity of agriculture in NC and showcase the farmer veteran network and farmer veteran-owned farms across North Carolina.

For more information, click here.