In today's world, students are always looking for ways to get a jump-start on the competition, and employers are looking for employees who are a cut above the rest. For this reason, the National FFA Organization, Discovery Education and AgCareers.com have partnered to create AgExplorer, a new career exploration website.

AgExplorer.com is a robust, comprehensive career resource to help students explore the broad range of careers in agriculture.

"We're excited to introduce this transformational resource that will allow students to explore the 235 unique careers in agriculture," said Joshua Bledsoe, chief operating officer of the National FFA Organization. "FFA is uniquely positioned to provide the foundation of the talent pipeline for the agricultural industry. In addition to engaging our students and supporting our teachers, AgExplorer.com will help us tell our story and the story of agriculture to the world. Together, we can all strengthen the future of agriculture."

In the next five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the agriculture industry will have more than 60,000 job openings annually, and an estimated 22,500 of those openings requiring highly skilled graduates will go unfilled. AgExplorer is a tool students can use to explore this industry and see what career is the best fit for them.

AgExplorer features 235 unduplicated agricultural career profiles that include a career description, typical responsibilities, job outlook, education requirements, average salary and links to a college and university database and jobs currently available.

In addition, AgCareers.com maintains a database of all two-year and four-year colleges and universities that offer some type of agricultural degree. This database is then linked to each career profile.

AgExplorer features nine videos that highlight how each of the eight agricultural pathways and agricultural education are part of the global solution to feeding the world. It also offers the Career Finder, an interactive assessment designed to help students match careers with their interests.

“Discovery Education is proud to partner with the National FFA Organization to offer classrooms nationwide an array of dynamic, digital resources that help connect real-world STEM applications to a variety of potential agricultural career paths,” said Lori McFarling, senior vice president of Discovery Education. “We are dedicated to preparing students to be college and career ready, and AgExplorer will help achieve this mission by connecting students’ interests and academic strengths to a broad array of promising careers in today’s rapidly growing agriculture industry.”