Exploring the Employability Skills and Academic Success of the National FFA Membership

Involvement in FFA is correlated with academic success.

The three-component model of school-based agricultural education revolves around the integral relationship between classroom instruction, work-based learning through a supervised agricultural experience program, and membership in FFA. FFA does not exist without classroom instruction and school-based agriculture programs, in which student academic success is of high importance.

This study provided the first baseline for FFA members’ academic success and revealed that FFA members have academic scores higher than the national average. FFA members show higher ACT and SAT scores on average than the 2018 high school graduating class average. FFA members have a collective average ACT score of 23.5, compared to the national average of 20.8. FFA members have a collective average SAT score of 1152, compared to the national average of 1068.

Additionally, the average high school grade point average of FFA members is a 3.69 out of 4.0 on an unweighted grade point average scale, which also means that 96 percent of members represented in this study are either A
or B students.

Involvement with FFA is correlated with higher perceptions of career readiness.

FFA prepares members for career success through agricultural education by ensuring that members are career-ready when they graduate from high school. Results of the study conducted in collaboration with Purdue University reveal that FFA members possess skills and competencies typically associated with career readiness.

FFA members scored a 73.1 out of 90 on a scale² measuring their communication skills, decision making skills, skills in getting along with others, learning skills, management skills, skills in understanding themselves and skills working with groups.

On an assessment³ measuring their engagement, cognitive maturity, and innovativeness, FFA members scored a 109.8 out of 130. FFA members assigned themselves an average score of 85.2 out of 100 on a scale⁴ measuring their ability to communicate in a variety of settings, including in public, a meeting, a group, a dyad, and with acquaintances, strangers, and friends. These results support the idea that FFA members possess the competencies that are critical in  today’s workforce.

FFA members have specific plans for after high school.

Ninety-three percent of the FFA members surveyed plan to continue their education in some way after high school. Seventy-one percent plan to attend a four-year college after high school, while 18 percent plan to attend a two-year college. Four percent plan to attend a training or vocational school, 4 percent plan to join the military, and 3 percent plan to obtain a full-time or part-time job.

FFA members have the desire to stay involved in agriculture as they go into their careers.

Sixty-seven percent of FFA members surveyed in the study indicated that their plans would include agriculture. Among the most popular Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) career focus areas were animal systems and agribusiness systems, closely followed by plant systems; agricultural education; environmental service systems; natural resource systems; power structural and technical systems; biotechnology systems; and food products and processing systems. FFA members demonstrated interest in all AFNR career focus areas, while some indicated interest in other agriculturally related careers not represented by one of the pathways. This suggests creativity and innovativeness on behalf of FFA members who plan to make a career for themselves within the evolving field of agriculture.