Members of the 2023 Pork Industry Group recently completed their leadership experience by presenting workforce ideas to the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors at the Pork Industry Group Banquet in Oklahoma City. The students and board members then enjoyed a celebratory pork dinner reflecting on the fun and rewarding program over the past semester.

In teams, the students shared creative suggestions for addressing the labor shortage within pork, especially as our industry seeks to recruit the next generation of agriculture enthusiasts. Student ideas that could be implemented by the Oklahoma Pork Council or by our producers included: a one-day pork careers conference for middle and high school students, a mentorship program between high school and college agriculture leaders, a youth signing day event for prospective pork employees, an online 'personality quiz' assessment for pork career placement, and an eight-week pork exploration program for new graduates. Our board and staff are excited to use this feedback to continue evolving our "Workforce at All Levels" strategic intention efforts.

This program would not be possible without OSU's Dr. Scott Carter who volunteers his time and expertise as Pork Industry Group's faculty advisor. He is a critical resource as an ex-officio board member and industry expert for the Oklahoma Pork Council! The banquet also provided an opportunity to thank campus liaisons Kate Jackson and Braden Burns for their incredible behind-the-scenes support to run the weekly sessions alongside Oklahoma Pork staff the past few months.

As the evening concluded, the Oklahoma Pork Council presented student scholarships to six members of the 2023 Pork Industry Group including:

Jake Butyenek was named "Outstanding Student"
Kate Buckmaster received the "Speaker's Choice" award
"The American Piggers" group including Aiden Davis, Dassie May (not pictured), Kate Bond and Quetta Woodall were awarded "Outstanding Group Project" for their plan to develop a one-day pork industry careers conference for 4-H and FFA students across the state

Our team has cherished the opportunity to mentor these students, and we look forward to being a longterm resource as they continue their academic and career journeys.