Skill Standards for Agriculture: John Deere Agricultural Equipment Technician, Agricultural & Diesel Equipment Mechanic, Irrigation Technologist, Turf Management Technician, Turf Equipment Service Technician.

This document presents agriculture skill standards for programs to prepare Washington students for employment in the following occupations: John Deere agricultural equipment technician; agricultural and diesel equipment mechanic; irrigation technologist; turf management technician; and turf equipment service technician. The introduction explains the origins of skill standards and their benefits to various stakeholders, discusses the relationship between skill standards and the pyramid of competencies, details a model for continuous improvement and a process for building skill standards, and presents an overview of the Agriculture Skills Standards Project during which the skill standards were developed. The remaining four sections, which are devoted to the individual occupations, each contain the following items: (1) a historic DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) process chart for the occupation; (2) a template summarizing critical work function and key activities; (3) a template detailing the performance indicators, technical knowledge, and employability skills required for the occupation's key activities; (4) routine, crisis, and long-term planning scenarios typically encountered by workers in the given occupation; (5) the results of the validation survey conducted for the occupation; and (6) the results of the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills survey conducted for the occupation. The appendix lists 45 workforce, skills-standards and competency-based, and Internet resources. (MN)