IMPORTANCE AND NEED OF CORE SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION CURRICULUM TO BRIDGE MISMATCH IN THE PRESENT JOB MARKET AND PERFORM JOB EFFECTIVELY

M. SHIVAMURTHY¹, A. MADHUSHREE²*
¹ICAR-Emeritus Scientist Project, Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, 560065, Karnataka, India
²ICAR-Emeritus Scientist Project, Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, 560065, Karnataka, India
* Corresponding Author : madhushree819@gmail.com

Received : 06-12-2022     Accepted : 28-12-2022     Published : 30-12-2022
Volume : 14     Issue : 12       Pages : 12054 - 12057
Int J Agr Sci 14.12 (2022):12054-12057

Keywords : Extension workers, Skills and competencies, Performance, Education and training
Academic Editor : Dr Sakamma S, Dr Vijaya Lakshmi V
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, 560065, Karnataka, India
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

To address role of extension, it is critical to know the competencies of extension workers and how these competencies influence their performance. Discussion and debate about the need for process skills and core competencies among extension professionals is gaining wider currency. Hence, an attempt has been made to know the level of importance and need of core skills and competencies required for extension professionals to perform their job effectively. Considering the importance of contemporary extension roles, responsibilities a scale was developed having twelve broad areas of skills and competencies required for agricultural extension professionals for effective performance. Under each broad areas, individual skills and competencies were grouped. The professionals presently working in Government line departments and private firms are considered as respondents in order to check and analyze the level of importance and need of skills and competencies to be included in extension curriculum. Study revealed that majority of the respondents expressed the selected skills were in medium category of 38.31 per cent and 41.37 per cent of importance and need. Mean index scores were calculated to rank the skills and competencies and the results disclose that soft skills were ranked first followed by communication skills. It was also found that there is a significant relationship between level of importance and level of need for selected skills and competencies. This study recommends that in order to improve the performance of agricultural extension workers, the concerned authority should take into account the status of extension workers in terms of their competencies on skills and abilities in order to upgrade their commitment particularly towards rural communities and work, besides enhancing core extension services through upgraded education and training. This will ultimately help to bridge the gap between required skills to execute agricultural extension services and agricultural education and training

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