On Sept. 29 and 30, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will sponsor a career fair and other activities in the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University to raise awareness of employment opportunities and recruit talented students into public service. Iowa State is the first in a series of USDA-sponsored university career fairs planned for the coming months, with a special emphasis on reaching minority students. The USDA career fair will be held Thursday, Sept. 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Kildee Hall. More than 40 representatives from nine USDA agency will be on hand to provide information and conduct on-campus interviews. Over the two days, USDA personnel also will make presentations in College of Agriculture classrooms, visit with agriculture student clubs and meet ISU faculty and staff. "The USDA career fair will enhance our efforts to place students in good jobs," said Mike Gaul, director of ISU's Agriculture Career Services. "The College of Agriculture has the nation's leading student career fair, which will be held Oct. 26. Our placement record has been phenomenal, with currently more than 98 percent of our students either finding jobs in their area of study or pursuing advanced degrees six months after graduation. And 70 percent of those with jobs are working here in Iowa." USDA is one of the largest civilian employers, with more than 118,000 workers in the United States and its territories and in 57 countries. The USDA reports that fewer younger people have been entering its workforce. The average age of USDA employees is 44. More than a third are over 50 years old. Less than 9 percent are under the age of 30. Representatives from the following USDA agencies will be at Iowa State: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Agricultural Marketing Service, Agricultural Research Service, Farm Service Agency, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development and National Agricultural Statistics Service. Additional information about the career fair and upcoming recruitment events is available online.
USDA to Recruit Students in Career Event at Iowa State
September 21, 2004