Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions

The following is a compiled list of questions around AgriProspects’s grant program. Browse the entire list or use one of the topics links to pare down the list to what you’re interested in. Please reach out to one of our coordinators for any questions not answered here or elsewhere on the site!

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Workforce development refers to the broad range of initiatives offered by government offices and agencies to help create, sustain, and retain a viable workforce. The objective of workforce development is to create economic prosperity for individuals, businesses, and communities. Workforce development focuses on an individual’s ability to grow his/her skills and develop the tools needed for career success. Workforce development typically includes education, training, and career navigation and employability services. (https://learnworkecosystemlibrary.com/glossary/workforce-development/)

Non-degree credentials include certificates, industry certifications, apprenticeships, educational certificates, occupational licenses, and digital badges. (https://learnworkecosystemlibrary.com/glossary/non-degree-credentials/)

At a basic level, Merriam-Webster defines workforce as:

  1. the workers engaged in a specific activity or enterprise
  2. the number of workers potentially assignable for any purpose

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) defines labor force as “all people age 16 and older who are classified as either employed and unemployed.”

Someone is classified as employed  by BLS during their Current Population Survey if they “meet any of the following criteria:

  1. worked at least 1 hour as a paid employee
  2. worked at least 1 hour in their own business, profession, trade, or farm (self-employed)
  3. were temporarily absent from their job, business, or farm, whether or not they were paid for the time off
  4. worked without pay for a minimum of 15 hours in a business or farm owned by a member of their family

For criteria 1 and 2, the work must be for pay or profit; that is, the individual receives a wage or salary, profits or fees, or payment in kind (such as housing, meals, or supplies received in place of cash wages). For the self-employed, this includes those who intended to earn a profit but whose business or farm produced a loss.”

BLS classifies someone as as unemployed if they meet all of the following:

  • They were not employed during the survey reference week.
  • They were available for work during the survey reference week, except for temporary illness.
  • They made at least one specific, active effort to find a job during the 4-week period ending with the survey reference week….OR they were temporarily laid off and expecting to be recalled to their job.

People waiting to start a new job must have actively looked for a job within the last 4 weeks in order to be classified as unemployed. Otherwise, they are classified as not in the labor force.

Adult workforce development includes programming and products aimed at workforce members who are 18 years of age or older.

The agricultural sector varies from state to state and region to region across the country, so there is no simple way to define the agricultural sector. Further, there are many layers to this sector, ranging from primary production to processing and manufacturing to retail, many of which overlap with other sectors beyond agriculture.

To help applicants understand what may fit within the context of the agricultural sector, we created the following illustration, which we adapted from the 2019 Skills Impact report, Agricultural Workforce Digital Capability Framework. This framework is defined enough to help you identify the various components of the agricultural sector but flexible enough to allow for state, regional, and national variations in agricultural production.

Within each of these categories is a multitude of skills, trades, businesses, and opportunities for workers, the self-employed, and entrepreneurs. The following graphic provides some examples of what you might find within each. The example is by no means exhaustive and you may find in certain regions, states, counties, or farms something might be in multiple categories. Build your understanding around the needs of your audience and location.

Need more help? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for assistance!

NIFA maintains a map and listing of Land-Grant College & Universities, or more simply, Land-Grant Institutions, at the following website:

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/NIFALGUs_MapREV_AI0522_508.pdf

Some Land-Grants have specific structures set-up within them due to the nature of the institution (e.g. private university). Please work with your institution’s Office of Sponsored Programs or grants officer to determine your eligibility as a Land-Grant.

The National Cooperative Extension System is divided into six regions:

  • 1994 Region
  • 1890 Region
  • North Central Region
  • Northeast Region
  • Southern Region
  • Western Region

We’ve assembled maps for each region to help you navigate through where your and other Land-Grant Institutions are found. Our team of Coordinators is also distributed by region to better assist you in connecting within and across each. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for more information!

The proposal funding AgriProspects is from 2022, funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-AFRI-009041, Program Area 7a. National Extension Clearinghouse for Industry and the Workforce (A7704).

Extension Foundation
AgriProspects Workforce Development Network

The Extension Foundation is a nonprofit established by Extension Directors and Administrators nationwide. Extension Foundation is embedded in the U.S. Cooperative Extension System and serves on Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP).

This work is supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)-National Extension Clearinghouse for Industry and the Workforce, project award no. 2023-67037-40533, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website and consultative support are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Extension Foundation.

© 2026 AgriProspects Workforce Development Network