Perkins Professional Development: Enhancing Agricultural Mechanics Engine Technical Skills and Curriculum for KY High School Agricultural Education Teachers

Perkins State Leadership Grant Abstract The agriculture career cluster has seen a huge advancement in large engines used throughout the agricultural industry over the past few years. Engines used in the agricultural setting have become quite complex and difficult for stakeholders involved in the industry to diagnosis, problem solve, and troubleshoot equipment and engines used daily. This project is designed to help agricultural teachers in school districts instruct students pursuing the agricultural mechanics pathway on the latest large engine technology applications. With the transportation cluster as a high demand area in Kentucky, there is need for this curriculum and instruction in Kentucky’s High school agriculture mechanics classroom. Of the 155 High school agricultural programs, only 40 total (including small engines) have included Ag Mechanics Engine curriculum in their pathway. Approximately 10 programs offer courses including large diesel and gasoline powered engines as the primary focus of instruction. The overall arching goal of the project is to improve the quality of curriculum around basic large engine operation, repair, and maintenance. There has been a decline in the number of agriculture programs who offer this high demand Career Cluster and agricultural Ag Mechanics pathways. This intentional focus is needed due to the decline of these courses being offered in Kentucky’s high schools over the past few years, and the increased need for transportation Cluster careers in maintenance and repair for large diesel and gasoline engines. The Kentucky Workforce Investment Board has listed the Transportation as one of the high demand areas for Kentucky’s workforce. The intent of this workshop is to begin an intentional focus on meeting this need at the regional and state level.