Faculty Members Perspective about Competencies needed to Career Success by Agricultural Graduates

Agricultural colleges are the most important institutes in agricultural education to educate and train specialists, conduct research projects, produce useful knowledge, offer the required advisory services for society, as well as to improve competencies needed for graduates’ employment. The purpose of this study was to analyze competencies need to agricultural graduates their career succeed in the future from the perspective of agricultural faculty members. This descriptive correlational research used survey technique to gather required data. Research population faculty members at the college of agriculture, Shiraz University in the academic year of 2010-2011. The data collection tool a questionnaire confirmed face validity by a group of agricultural extension and education specialists and test-retest to reliability. Correlation coefficient range at different scales of the questionnaire was between 0.71 0.95. Required skills and competences of students to achieve the expected job and career success were studied in four parts; professional, technical, general and personality characteristics. The results showed that current status of students in all four needed competency graduateshave a significant gap with the ideal condition. Based on research findings, it is recommended that agriculture fields be introduced in high schools, also, university courses direction must be toward improving practical competencies needed by agriculture graduates.