According to a study initiated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Purdue University regarding employment opportunities for Animal Science graduates, results show that there were more than 57,900 annual job openings for new graduates between 2015 and 2020, and some 35,400 qualified graduates available each year for these positions resulting in a shortage.  Youth livestock programs teach 4-H members the value of hard work, commitment, responsibility, and valuable animal husbandry and care skills that remain with them throughout their lives and can encourage them to pursue careers in the livestock industry.  

A committee of volunteers from Shelby and Scott County, 4-H Agents and the Ag & Natural Resource Agent planned the 2024 Shelby County Stockman’s College.  The event is a fun, interactive, educational event involving industry experts and extension professionals.  The program was modified and expanded from the previous events held to foster more opportunities for hands-on learning.  This has become a bi-annual programming tradition, and we are proud to have offered this event for a third time to youth from across the state. 

Stockman’s College provided the opportunity for 75 youth to “major” in one of five species options and to take courses relative to their major as well as core content courses applicable across species.  Each participant attended four core content classes, two species major and two species minor classes, two group demonstration classes and two enrichment demos held during breaks.  Following the conclusion of the 8-hour college, youth competed in a modified skillathon competition, demonstrating new knowledge and skills learned during Stockman’s College.  

One of the main goals of the committee was to design Stockman’s College as a hands-on skills-development event.  To this end, courses were designed which allowed youth to learn and then immediately practice a skill.  For example, youth were able to practice AI techniques with the models that were purchased as well as real reproductive tracts that were collected from local processors. Each youth had the opportunity to practice the skill with the species they chose and were assisted by local veterinarians who volunteered their time. Other topics included: livestock reality story, livestock handling, meat safety & preparation, live animal carcass evaluation, reproduction, parturition, sire selection, milk testing, livestock feeding & nutrition, foot trimming & sheering, disease prevention and carcass cut out. 

Youth were engaged the entire day and were fully immersed in the hands on and demonstration portions of the event. All the youth competed in the contest at the end of the day and demonstrated the information they had learned on written test, identification exercise, wool and meats judging classes and species-specific exercises. This allowed youth the opportunity to show what they had learned throughout the day and apply it directly. 

Following the skillathon competition, awards were given to the top placing youth in each category and in both the junior and senior age divisions.  High overall individuals in each species received award banners and the High overall junior and senior across species were awarded custom belt buckles.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive from the youth, parents, volunteers and the instructors. Twenty-five volunteers, most of whom are industry experts, facilitated the hands-on learning experiences throughout the day.