Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources

Sector Analysis

AFNR Sector Overview

Key takeaways from the landscape analysis for the agriculture, food, and natural resources sector in the Chicagoland area:

The most sizeable roles are supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers. These roles are seasonal in nature or pivot towards other services in the winter.
The burgeoning cannabis industry shows promise. According to the Leafly Jobs Report 2022, Illinois has massive year-over-year sales growth and employs around 28,992 full-time cannabis jobs in Illinois. The region continues to lag in true revenue and job creation potential due to a dramatically constricted number of retail stores. Most cannabis jobs in the region overlap with traditional business roles in supply logistics, retail sales, marketing, etc., rather than crop cultivation and growth.

Overview of Private Training Landscape

Based on Based on WIOA Programs and Chicagoland CareerPathways:

Very few AFNR training programs exist in non-profit and WIOA institutions. There are some apprenticeship programs for arborists and urban farmers that are limited in scale.
Some flagship postsecondary and non-profit institutions (e.g. University of Illinois, Chicago Botanic Gardens) offer workshops and trainings for volunteers of community gardens or similar structures.
Most of the training is unlinked to formal job placements or specific occupations. The exceptions are community college programs linked to the cannabis industry.

Recommended Improvement Strategies for AFNR

Based on the landscape analysis, the EdSystems team proposes the following strategies to both prepare residents for living wage roles in the agriculture, food, and natural resources sector and meet labor market demands:

Invest in training for burgeoning roles through state and municipal resources. WIOA and non-profit programs need to expand program offerings leading to more middle-skills roles in cannabis growth.
Ensure entry-level positions aren’t “stopping out” at these roles. Build the capacity of partner nonprofits to provide alumni supports to help individuals transition from Gateway Occupations to High Priority Occupations. Pilot alumni supports through philanthropy, but ultimately integrate into WIOA structures. Focus on providing individuals with management training and competencies.

AFNR Priority Occupation and Promising Credential Areas

MIDDLE-SKILL CREDENTIAL AREA	OCCUPATIONS	TYPICAL ENTRY EDUCATION	CHICAGOLAND WAGE $/HR	CHICAGOLAND PROJECTED GROWTH (10 YR.)	ANNUAL CHICAGOLAND JOB OPENINGS
Grounds Maintenance Workers	Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	High School + On-the-Job Training	$17.38	4.8%	2,209
Grounds Maintenance Workers	Tree Trimmers and Pruners	High School + On-the-Job Training	$29.95	4.1%	24
Agribusiness	Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse	High School + On-the-Job Training	$14.97	-5.1%	115
Agribusiness	Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Ag Managers	High School + On-the-Job Training	$46.05	2.5%	87