The Wayne Community College Applied Animal Science Technology program has been awarded a grant to assist with recruiting students interested in poultry and related industry careers.
The $2,189 grant is the third the program has received from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation. The gift, which is designated for recruiting and retention efforts, was given in part by Prestage Farms.
“This is the third time I have been honored to receive funds from the USPOULTRY Foundation’s Industry Education Recruitment Funding Program,” said Applied Animal Science Instructor Jennifer Johnson. “I am very appreciative of the USPOULTRY Federation as well as Prestage Farms who helped to make this possible.”
Johnson will use the grant money to purchase marketing materials.
Wayne Community College’s Applied Animal Science Technology program offers degree and certificate options. The program prepares students for careers as animal science technicians, a field in which there is much demand for workers.
The college also offers Sustainable Agriculture, Agribusiness, and Swine Management majors.
“Agriculture is the number one industry in Wayne County, providing 20 percent of the employment in the county,” said Johnson. “Wayne County and the surrounding area is home to three major poultry companies.”
“It is critical that we attract bright young people to study careers in the poultry industry. We need sharp young managers to join our companies, as they will be the future leaders of our industry. USPOULTRY Foundation recruitment grants are fundamental in encouraging students to enroll in industry-related studies and later become our future industry leaders,” said Tom Hensley, Fieldale Farms and USPOULTRY Foundation chairman.
The USPOULTRY Foundation awarded recruiting grants totaling $383,577 for the 2019-20 school year to 35 colleges and universities across the United States with either a poultry science department or other industry-related program.
WCC was one of just four North Carolina schools and three community and junior colleges among those institutions.
For more information on the WCC Applied Animal Science Technology program, contact Johnson at (919)-739-6808 or jgjohnson@waynecc.edu.
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association established the USPOULTRY Foundation in 1994 to provide student recruiting funds to universities with poultry science departments. In 2004, the Poultry Science Education Funding Program, now named the Industry Education Recruitment Funding Program, was added to the Foundation’s umbrella so other colleges and universities that offer industry-related studies are eligible to apply for recruiting grants.
The USPOULTRY Foundation’s mission is to support the recruitment and training of the brightest students, seek and fund scientific research, foster student scientists and promote careers in the poultry and egg industry.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 11,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 140 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.
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