The National FFA Organization has announced a first-of-its-kind formation of partnerships to assist its members' efforts toward career success. Through the Agricultural Career Network (AgCN), FFA will work in collaboration with Career Cruising, a provider of age-appropriate career planners, assessments and other resources; and AgCareers.com, a leading provider of Human Resources services to agricultural companies. These partnerships will provide valuable tools and assistance for students in their pursuits of more than 300 careers in agriculture.

Launched last December, AgCN is a nationwide system designed to help FFA members document their educational achievements, create robust portfolios and pursue award, scholarship, internship and employment opportunities. The network will provide a database of students who are interested in particular career fields within the industry.

Through the National FFA Organization's relationship with Career Cruising, members will have easy access to career information within selected fields of interest. Career Cruising will provide online career exploration tools that lead to recommending classwork and hands-on learning opportunities while guiding members along a path tailored to their abilities. With its ccInspire platform, Career Cruising connects individuals to career mentors and employers in their community

The partnership with AgCareers.com will allow members to search for career opportunities within their particular field of study or within a selected geographic area through a very robust job board. By including these tools on AgCN, FFA members will have a convenient home for career exploration. The partnership will continue to provide members with job placement access throughout their postsecondary educations as they pursue internship and career options.

"These partnerships will be wonderful tools for our membership, and they will continue to help young people achieve career success even after they've taken off their blue jacket," said Dwight Armstrong, CEO of the National FFA Organization. "With the help of these great companies, we will provide students with a clear pathway from talent to career."

The partnerships will allow AgCN to intuitively identify career paths for our students based on their interests, accomplishments and achievements. These enhancements to the AgCN will be available to students beginning in the fall of 2012. In addition, graduating FFA members will be offered a free, five-year associate membership in the National FFA Alumni Association, which will allow for continued network access beyond their years of active FFA membership.

The National FFA Organization provides leadership training to 540,379 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,489 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.