She Came Home to Agriculture

If you ask Jodi Drozda how she came to work for Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, chances are she’ll credit the Green Certificate Program.  Like many high school students, she enrolled in the program because her parents had a cow-calf operation. “It was an opportunity to achieve formal recognition of my skills that would be transferable in the agriculture industry,” says Jodi.

After completing a degree from the University of Alberta, she started looking for a job that would allow her to serve the public, “I took a Bachelor of Arts degree because it is a good foundation for government or non-profit type work.  My first job after graduation was working with towns and counties in rural Alberta,” she says.

Reflecting on her Green Certificate experience, she feels the adaptability and communication skills she developed while completing the program helped her significantly through university and in the work force. “I was a little shy in high school and the program gave me a safe environment to practice my skills,” says Jodi. 

In her current role as a project coordinator, she credits the program for helping her acquire management and problem solving skills. “It began with learning about cattle health, but today on the job I use the leadership and research skills that I started learning with the Green Certificate,” she says.

“I wouldn’t have got this job opportunity with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development if I hadn’t taken the Green Certificate Program.  In a way, I feel like I have gone full circle.  I saw what was out there and then came back to my roots – agriculture!” says Jodi.

To view the training opportunities with the Green Certificate Program, visit the program’s webpage at agriculture.alberta.ca/greencertificate.  To be featured in this newsletter for making agriculture your career after taking the Green Certificate Program; please contact (780) 427-4183.