CareerTechNJ

County vocational-technical schools are doing their part to keep the “garden” in the Garden State with programs in agriculture, horticulture, landscaping, and veterinary science. New Jersey’s farms, nurseries, greenhouses, and equine centers are not just quaint reminders of the past. Generating $82 billion each year in revenue, the agriculture industry is the third-largest in the state, following pharmaceuticals and tourism in economic benefits.

As careers in agriculture, food and natural resources continually evolve, county vocational schools work with their business partners in these fields to keep their programs “Jersey Fresh.”

Here are some of the career opportunities in this industry:
Animal Care Specialist
Commerical Fisherman
Farmer
Floral Designer
Greenhouse Specialist
Landscape Designer/Landscaper
Nursery Employee
Plant Scientist
Stable Manager
Turf Maintencane Specialist
Veterinarian
Veterinary Assistant/Technician
Zoologist

Around Our Schools
For students at Hunterdon County Polytech, experience with various animal species will prove to be invaluable in a career as a member of a veterinary team. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians are found working in private practices or emergency clinics, on farms or even in research facilities. The district even offers a dog grooming clinic, open to the public, that gives students hands-on experience.

The veterinary assistant program at Burlington County Institute of Technology prepares students with the entry-level skills needed to work in a veterinary hospital, kennel, pet grooming shop, animal laboratory or pet product retail facility. This hands-on career area includes practical application and laboratory work that fosters students’ self-motivation, responsibility, and awareness of safety procedures in dealing with animals and the work environment.

Videos and More Information
NJNextStop helps students and parents learn more about career interests and options, and the occupations and skills that are in demand in New Jersey.  Each industry page has several videos about the jobs that people in that field do.  Here’s the link for the NJ Next Stop Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources page.

The National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education (NASDCTEc) has a web site that explains what students need to know and what courses they should take in high school in order to enter specific career areas.  Here’s the link for National resources for Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources