Texas Cattle Feeders Association Junior Fed Beef Career and Leadership Program

Abstract Workforce recruitment, development, and retention is recognized as an increasingly important and challenging priority for the cattle feeding sector as well as the beef industry as a whole. The objective of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association Junior Fed Beef Career and Leadership Program, known as “Feedyard Camp”, is to identify high school students with interest in careers in the cattle feeding industry and to provide a hands-on experience that highlights feedyard operations and management, with the goal of recruiting potential managers and leaders to careers in the cattle feeding industry. The annual Feedyard Camp is open to high school students entering their junior or senior year with interest in careers related to cattle feeding. The required application process chooses twenty students each year. Participants are housed on the campus of West Texas A&M University during the four-day camp each June. The camp provides hands-on experiences focused on feedyard operations, problem solving, leadership, and career opportunities. Specific activities include tours of a commercial feedyard, meat processing plant, and retail meat sales facility, overview of daily feedyard operations, meat fabrication and carcass anatomy, taste panel participation, communication and media training, and leadership activities. A job shadow opportunity with a local feedyard is available to participants after the scheduled camp. The camp is organized and facilitated by Texas Cattle Feeders Association staff, West Texas A&M University faculty and staff, and Texas AgriLife Extension personnel along with feedyard industry collaborators. The approach seeks to leverage the expertise of an industry trade organization, a regional university, and state youth organization to address workforce development. The Feedyard Camp has been provided to over 500 participants over a 24-year period. Participants include students from outside the Panhandle and high plains cattle feeding area. Post-camp participant surveys reveal that the camp is regularly viewed as a highly valuable and very positive learning experience that increases knowledge of career opportunities in the cattle feeding sector. Participant profiles indicate the camp attracts high-achieving students interested in managerial and professional careers. Beef industry professionals also find value in interacting with camp students to identify potential employees. Additional workforce development programs have been developed by Texas Cattle Feeders Association to complement the Feedyard Camp. These include the Feedyard Technician program, the Fed Beef Showcase, and the Build, Integrate, Network program. In conclusion, the Texas Cattle Feeders Association Feedyard Camp provides valuable information, a positive career-focused experience, and networking opportunities to high school students. The experience increases awareness and knowledge of opportunities in cattle feeding or beef industry careers that may result in enhanced career readiness and participation.