Although it doesn’t feel like it right now with negative temperatures in Ohio and snow on beaches in Florida, summer is just around the corner!
And with summer comes the opportunity for students to expand their technical skills in agriculture through their Supervised Agricultural Experiences!
Many of my students did not grow up on a traditional farm, but were interested in learning more about what the industry offers through jobs at agricultural companies and businesses.
But how do you get students involved in these placement SAEs?
And then once they are in these SAEs, how do you get them to expand their experience so they are competitive in local, state and national proficiency awards?
What worked for me was sending SAE PLACEMENT LETTERS to local agricultural companies and businesses requesting employment for my students.
I first researched and gathered contact information for any and all potential SAE placement sites within driving distance for my students. This could be farms, floral shops, butchers, landscapers, veterinary clinics, etc. If you can determine a specific person who does the hiring for that organization, you will be more successful in getting the letter in the correct hands.
I then used this SAE Placement Letter Template to write a letter to these individuals or companies requesting SAE placement opportunities for my students. In this letter, I explained what a SAE is, why it is important and provided my contact information for them to reach out with employment opportunities.
I also included an Ag Ed Brochure and SAE Brochure with the letter so employers are aware of the organization and the purpose of SAEs. It’s important to remember that not everyone employed in the agriculture industry was once a FFA member. You can read more about how to expand stakeholder knowledge about SAEs in the Educate to Maximize SAEs blog post.
After sending the letters to the intended companies and businesses, I would record any job postings returned by employers on the board and try to place students who have an interest and are qualified for the specific role.
This advisor/employer relationship was further fostered during SAE visits in the summer where I met with students’ supervisors to continue to maximize the experience for students. Read more about tips and tricks to improve SAE visits in the Maximizing SAE Visits blog post and grab a copy of my SAE Visit Form, and download my Summertime SAE Visit Questionnaire in the SAE Visit Pre-Work blog post.
This method of acquiring SAE placement sites for my students aided in the chapter having 10 visits to the national proficiency stage in six years, and countless other SAE opportunities that allowed 100% of my students to obtain real-world technical skills in agriculture education through their SAEs. So start maximizing experiential work-based learning with your students today and let The Owl’s Nest do the groundwork!