An Evaluation Of The Required Work Experience In The Institute Of Agricultural Technology

The Institute of Agricultural Technology traces its history back to 1894 when Dr. C.D. Smith began a class in farm dairying at Michigan Agricultural College. His purpose was to train people engaged in farming the art, science, and practice of milk production and buttermaking. The purpose of the Institute of Agricultural Technology is to enable men and women to gain marketable skills. Each program is eighteen months in length and includes classroom and practical work experiences. During placement training, the trainees are offered the opportunity to put their knowledge and skills to work and practice -- in sum to "learn to do by doing." In order to accomplish this, the directors and coordinators of the Institute of Agricultural Technology have attempted to establish some responsibilities of placement employers which they felt would enhance true learning by the trainees while under their placement employers' direction. Up to the present, the Institute of Agricultural Technology has possessed little systematically gathered information showing the extent to which the responsibilities of placement employers were actually being discharged. Moreover, those in the Institute felt it extremely desirable to obtain information regarding the employers and trainees who were participating in the 1975 placement training program, in addition to any comments, evaluations and suggestions they might have about the program. Thus, it was concluded to undertake the present study.