Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** student job-seekers in the…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** student job-seekers in the poultry processing industry must possess technical knowledge in the areas of poultry handling, worker safety, and managerial leadership to be highly sought-after job candidates. Agriculture students graduating from california hsis are at a disadvantage in gaining skillful poultry processing knowledge compared to students graduating from non-HSI poultry-centric institutions in the midwest and southeast U.S.to remedy the disproportionate access to poultry processing training as a method to increase career-readiness and hireability for HSI students, fresno state's center for the optimization of poultry (COOP) is partnering with fresno city college to increase access to poultry processing career training for HSI students. The partnership will increase equity in job training for HSI students through provision of career counseling, utilization of innovative curricula development, facilitation of online welfare and in-person certificated modules at a pilot processing plant, hosting a west coast poultry career fair, maximize experiential learning, and offer novel leadership opportunities. The educational training provided by COOP will become the gold standard in processing education for underserved students seeking a prominent career in the poultry processing industry and will promote career-readiness and competitiveness for HSI students. Through this effort, animal science, poultry science, warehouse technician, and maintenance mechanic students will undergo professional development preparation culminating in interview opportunities at an international college student career program and/or a regional job fair launched via COOP. The curricular resources developed and offered through COOP will be created in conjunction with industry partners to ensure students receive the most current educational training available. Certification standards, industry alignment of the curricula, student retention and success, and impact of advisory committee oversight will be disseminated through conference proceedings and marketed to industry and higher education institutions to increase participation of HSI students without access to poultry processing training nationwide, and to increase the value of the certification for processing employers.COOP will establish a standard for HSI students to gain access to regional/national private companies, governmental agencies, and nonprofits - all which can greatly benefit from the diverse poultry job seekers matriculating from california institutions. Prioritizing opportunities for california HSI students will promote equity amongst poultry students nationwide, and will increase competitiveness of underrepresented students in the job market.