Growing a skilled workforce: U of G internship course will match Master’s students to agri-food employers

Connecting graduate students with a range of organizations in the agriculture, environment, food and community sectors is the goal of a new master’s-level internship course at the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), titled Internship in Agriculture, Environment, Food, and Communities.

“Partner employers will have access to the bright minds of tomorrow’s leaders in agri-food, who bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a deep understanding of their fields,” says Dr. Emmanuelle Arnaud, professor and assistant OAC dean (graduate programs). “The real strength of this internship lies in tapping into OAC’s network of over 30,000 alumni.” 

Participating students will have already completed a four-year undergraduate degree in agri-food or a related field, along with two full-time semesters of graduate studies.

Attracting recent graduates is among the many recommendations made by the Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council, which predicts that one-third of the agricultural workforce will retire by 2030. This leaves more than 100,000 jobs needing to be filled.

Organizations interested in participating are encouraged to submit their project opportunities by November 2024 or contact OAC for more information.  

Read the story on the U of G News site: U of G Internship Course Will Match Master’s Students to Agri-Food Employers