U.S. Department of Agriculture Targets Cal Poly Pomona for Talent

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Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and numerous agencies within the department will visit campus Nov. 16 and 17 to search the diverse talent pool of Cal Poly Pomona students.

USDA Talent Search Days will target Cal Poly Pomona students from all colleges with classroom presentations followed by a networking session on Nov. 16, 4-6 p.m., in the Bronco Student Center's Ursa Major Suite. This will allow students, faculty and staff an opportunity to meet with potential employers to find out more about careers in the USDA, including current job openings and information on the various agencies. The USDA is the largest civilian employer in the federal government.

Participating USDA agencies include: Office of Human Resource Management, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Farm Service Agency, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Forest Service, Rural Development, Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Statistics Service and Agricultural Marketing Service. The 30 representatives will be looking for entry level candidates, as well as undergraduate interns.

A job fair will take place Nov. 17, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the Bronco Student Center's Ursa Major Suite, followed by a workshop on Navigating the Federal Employment Process from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

This collaborative project was initiated by the USDA Coalition of Minority Employees with leadership from the university's Mon S. Yee, USDA NRCS liaison officer, and Penni Sweetenburg-Lee, associate director of the Career Center.

“Because of Cal Poly Pomonas unique position in Southern California and the demographics of its student body, USDA views this campus as one of the focal points for fulfilling some of its human capital needs,” says Yee.

“It is hoped that this event will increase the campus and student awareness of USDA as a potential employer of choice,” he says. “The USDA does not hire only agricultural majors  it employs all disciplines from accounting to zoology.”