Looking to the Next Generation

Looking to the Next Generation

The Next Generation. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report.

There will always be a next generation but it seems especially critical when it comes to agriculture. And since agriculture is a business, Wil Tutol, Associate Director for the Consulting and Business Development Center at University of Washington Foster School of Business says they leverage resources to help companies create jobs.

TUTOL: We do this in a couple of ways. First, obviously we use students. We train them to be business consultants and have them go work for companies to help them develop long-term growth strategies. So not only do these students do market research to identify what business opportunities are available to companies but they also put together step-by-step implementation plans so that these firms can really reach their growth potential.

He says the second way is to leverage their faculty.

TUTOL: We've got these faculty led business educational programs where we teach mangers, business owners and other working professionals business fundamentals to improve their management skills, leadership skills and then also increase their job performance. Since 1995, business owners have reported that based off the work that both our students and faculty have done, it helped us create 10-thousand jobs. If you count creation and retention it's closer to 100-thousand jobs.

What does this mean for ag companies in the state?

TUTOL: The first is our summer consulting program where students provide about 150-hours worth of consulting services for companies specifically customized towards the needs of any specific firm.

The second program is their Business Certificate Program held in both the Tri-Cities and in Yakima. Visit foster.washington.edu for more details on these programs.

That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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