Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development has hired Rachel McCarthy to coordinate a new series of courses in a Supervisory Leadership certificate program. This newly created position enhances the capacity of Ag Workforce Development to offer leadership development programming for farmers.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to expand Ag Workforce’s capacity with a professional of McCarthy’s caliber and experience,” said Ag Workforce Specialist Richard Stup. “She has extensive experience developing online, in person, and train-the-trainer programs, and a passion for educating agricultural professionals.”
McCarthy is a skilled science communicator, with over a decade of experience working in higher education and extension, developing online and in-person learning programs. McCarthy has a joint appointment with the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell as a National Training and Education Program Manager where she has developed and implemented training and outreach programs for two national invasive species early detection networks. She developed the Sentinel Plant Network’s train-the-trainer curriculum, including presentations, print resources, eLearning program modules, and a video series. She also developed First Detector resources and training materials. Previously McCarthy led the landscape development program at Alfred State College, including instruction, program assessment, and development. McCarthy earned her BS and MPS from Cornell University in Landscape Architecture and Ornamental Horticultur
The Agricultural Supervisory Leadership certificate program will train farm managers to use human resource management practices that support their businesses and foster rewarding workplaces. Confident farm managers who thoughtfully apply leadership and management skills influence employee performance, develop teams and individuals, and deliver profitable business results. The courses within the certificate program will offer extensive practice and engagement activities in a hybrid of online and in-person learning to build confidence and skill sets. The first courses that will be launched in spring 2021 are:
- Transitioning to Supervisor and Workplace Culture: Develop essential communication skills and manage conflict. Lead a multi-cultural team. Build an effective workplace culture.
- Organizing Work for High Quality Results: Develop clear expectations and standard operating procedures. Delegate effectively. Diagnose and correct performance problems.
- Managing Performance: Understand motivation. Harness the power of performance feedback and coaching. Build clear and effective workplace communications, including leading team meetings. Set safety expectations. Conduct effective performance reviews.
- Ethics and Employment Regulations for Supervisors: Implement responsible and ethical labor practices and understand why this matters for agriculture. Recognize and prevent sexual harassment. Understand and follow minimum wage and overtime laws. Implement Equal Employment Opportunity laws to prevent discrimination and harassment. Use an employee handbook. Handle employee discipline and termination.
Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development’s mission is to help farms and agribusinesses build committed and effective teams who will carry out the important work of feeding the world. We believe that agricultural work can, and should be, engaging and rewarding for everyone involved. Managers can build committed teams by applying the best human resource management practices for the agricultural setting. Key program goals include:
- Provide leadership and management development education focused on farm supervisors, middle managers, and owners
- Clarify workforce regulations that apply to farms and increasing levels of compliance
- Build consistent channels of communication and learning opportunities about agricultural workforce issues
- Conduct research into workforce problems and challenges that confront agriculture
