What are competencies?

What are competencies? The application of skills, knowledge and attitudes that lead to outstanding performance in the workplace. Successful Extension agents exhibit a willingness to develop and/or enhance the required competencies as experience and job knowledge is acquired.

Family and Community Health

This is a professional Extension position for individuals interested in a career in strengthening families and supporting youth. Extension agents must be devoted to strengthening family support systems and helping youth grow into responsible adults through providing educational programs that help individuals and families achieve economic stability, improve health and well-being, and enhance life quality. The following competencies are essential in the successful performance of Family and Community Health job responsibilities.

Technical: A graduate degree in Family and Community Health or field closely related to the scope of job responsibilities is required. Experience equivalency may be considered if related and relevant to job responsibilities. Demonstrated professional and technical competencies in food and nutrition, food safety, family consumer economics, family resource management, parenting and family relations, elder care, character development, health and wellness, and safety preferred. Demonstrated ability to integrate technology, information, knowledge, and skills in applying solutions to specific issues identified by county stakeholders is preferred.

Organizational Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with support staff, peers, and supervisors. Demonstrated ability to effectively market programs both internally and externally; successful experience with grant development and management preferred. Demonstrated ability to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate programs that provide high quality education and sound evidence of outcomes.

Personal Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to effectively set, plan and manage multiple priorities, establish goals and standards for performance, and organize work effectively; ability to balance professional and personal responsibilities; evidence of a commitment that supports continuous learning and professional development.

Action-Orientation: Evidence of self-motivation and a preference for action and achievement. Demonstrated ability to effect and implement change, and respond positively and productively to change in the work environment. Evidence of an ability to effectively think conceptually and apply action to ideas; ability to apply action to organizational vision, mission, goals, and objectives.

Communication: Demonstrated ability to work with people, cooperate as a team member, and communicate effectively. Must show evidence of superior instructional and presentation skills, using a variety of methods and technologies. Demonstrated ability to manage conflict.

Development of Others: Demonstrated ability to train & mentor staff and volunteers; effectively and appropriately delegates tasks; promotes & supports teamwork and cooperation; skilled in situational and facilitative leadership.

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Agriculture and Natural Resources

This is a professional position for individuals interested in a career in providing educational program leadership in the area of agriculture and natural resources. Extension agent must be devoted to the involvement, leadership, and development of both youth and adult audiences in the primary area of agriculture and natural resources. The following competencies are important in the successful performance of agriculture and natural resources job responsibilities.

Technical: A graduate degree in agriculture/natural resource or field closely related to the scope of job responsibilities is required. Experience equivalency may be considered if related and relevant to job responsibilities. Demonstrated professional and technical competencies in field crop production, vegetable and pecan production, livestock, range, agricultural economics, water quality and conservation, and natural resources management preferred. Demonstrated ability to integrate technology, information, knowledge, and skills in applying solutions to specific issues identified by county stakeholders is preferred.

Organizational Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with support staff, peers, and supervisors. Demonstrated ability to effectively market programs both internally and externally; successful experience with grant development and management preferred. Demonstrated ability to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate programs that provide high quality education and sound evidence of outcomes.

Personal Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to effectively set, plan and manage multiple priorities, establish goals and standards for performance, and organize work effectively; ability to balance professional and personal responsibilities; evidence of a commitment that supports continuous learning and professional development.

Action-Orientation: Evidence of self-motivation and a preference for action and achievement. Demonstrated ability to effect and implement change, and respond positively and productively to change in the work environment. Evidence of an ability to effectively think conceptually and apply action to ideas; ability to apply action to organizational vision, mission, goals, and objectives.

Communication: Demonstrated ability to work with people, cooperate as a team member, and communicate effectively. Must show evidence of superior instructional and presentation skills, using a variety of methods and technologies. Demonstrated ability to manage conflict.

Development of Others: Demonstrated ability to train & mentor staff and volunteers; effectively and appropriately delegates tasks; promotes & supports teamwork and cooperation; skilled in situational and facilitative leadership.

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4-H and Youth Development

This is a professional youth development position for individuals interested in a career in youth development. Extension agents must be devoted to the involvement, leadership and development of youth through educational programming. The following competencies are important in the successful performance of the youth development job responsibilities.

Technical: A graduate degree in youth development, education, early childhood, agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, or sociology or field closely related to the scope of job responsibilities is required. Experience equivalency may be considered if related and relevant to job responsibilities. Demonstrated professional and technical competencies in basic youth development, volunteer recruitment and development, leadership development, character development, positive self-esteem development and workforce development preferred. Knowledge and ability to manage both traditional and contemporary 4-H projects is preferred. Demonstrated ability to integrate technology, information, knowledge, and skills in applying solutions to specific issues identified by county stakeholders is preferred.

Organizational Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with support staff, peers, and supervisors. Demonstrated ability to effectively market programs both internally and externally; successful experience with grant development and management preferred. Demonstrated ability to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate programs that provide high quality education and sound evidence of outcomes.

Personal Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to effectively set, plan and manage multiple priorities, establish goals and standards for performance, and organize work effectively; ability to balance professional and personal responsibilities; evidence of a commitment that supports continuous learning and professional development.

Action-Orientation: Evidence of self-motivation and a preference for action and achievement. Demonstrated ability to effect and implement change, and respond positively and productively to change in the work environment. Evidence of an ability to effectively think conceptually and apply action to ideas; ability to apply action to organizational vision, mission, goals, and objectives.

Communication: Demonstrated ability to work with people, cooperate as a team member, and communicate effectively. Must show evidence of superior instructional and presentation skills, using a variety of methods and technologies. Demonstrated ability to manage conflict.

Development of Others: Demonstrated ability to train, motivate & mentor volunteers and staff; effectively and appropriately delegates tasks; promotes & supports teamwork and cooperation; skilled in situational and facilitative leadership.

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Integrated Pest Management

This is a professional position for individuals interested in a career in providing educational program leadership in the area of agriculture and natural resources. Extension agent must be devoted to the involvement, leadership, and development of both youth and adult audiences in the primary area of agriculture and natural resources. The following competencies are important in the successful performance of agriculture and natural resources job responsibilities.

Technical: A graduate degree in integrated pest management, entomology, agronomy, plant pathology or other field closely related to the scope of job responsibilities is required. Experience equivalency may be considered if related and relevant to job responsibilities. Demonstrated professional and technical competencies in crop protection, crop production and agricultural literacy preferred.

Organizational Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with support staff, peers, and supervisors. Demonstrated ability to effectively market programs both internally and externally; successful experience with grant development and management preferred. Demonstrated ability to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate programs that provide high quality education and sound evidence of outcomes.

Personal Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to effectively set, plan and manage multiple priorities, establish goals and standards for performance, and organize work effectively; ability to balance professional and personal responsibilities; evidence of a commitment that supports continuous learning and professional development.

Action-Orientation: Evidence of self-motivation and a preference for action and achievement. Demonstrated ability to effect and implement change, and respond positively and productively to change in the work environment. Evidence of an ability to effectively think conceptually and apply action to ideas; ability to apply action to organizational vision, mission, goals, and objectives.

Communication: Demonstrated ability to work with people, cooperate as a team member, and communicate effectively. Must show evidence of superior instructional and presentation skills, using a variety of methods and technologies. Demonstrated ability to manage conflict.

Development of Others: Demonstrated ability to train & mentor staff and volunteers; effectively and appropriately delegates tasks; promotes & supports teamwork and cooperation; skilled in situational and facilitative leadership.

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Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program

This is a professional Extension position for individuals interested in a career in strengthening limited resource families and youth in the areas of nutrition, food safety, and food resource management. Extension agent must be devoted to assisting limited resource families and individuals learn basic skills in nutrition, food buying, meal planning and preparation, safe food handling, managing food resources, and efficiently using government assistance resources. The following competencies are essential in the successful performance of the Expanded Nutrition Program job responsibilities.

Technical: a graduate degree in Family and Community Health or foods and nutrition or field closely related to the scope of job responsibilities is required. Experience equivalency may be considered if related and relevant to job responsibilities. Demonstrated professional and technical competencies in basic nutrition education to limited-income families with young children and to youths through this special federally funded program preferred. Demonstrated ability to integrate technology, information, knowledge, and skills in applying solutions to specific issues identified by county stakeholders is preferred.

Organizational Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with support staff, peers, and supervisors. Demonstrated ability to effectively market programs both internally and externally; successful experience with grant development and management preferred. Demonstrated ability to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate programs that provide high quality education and sound evidence of outcomes.

Personal Effectiveness: Demonstrated ability to effectively set, plan and manage multiple priorities, establish goals and standards for performance, and organize work effectively; ability to balance professional and personal responsibilities; evidence of a commitment that supports continuous learning and professional development.

Action-Orientation: Evidence of self-motivation and a preference for action and achievement. Demonstrated ability to effect and implement change, and respond positively and productively to change in the work environment. Evidence of an ability to effectively think conceptually and apply action to ideas; ability to apply action to organizational vision, mission, goals, and objectives.

Communication: Demonstrated ability to work with people, cooperate as a team member, and communicate effectively. Must show evidence of superior instructional and presentation skills, using a variety of methods and technologies. Demonstrated ability to manage conflict.

Development of Others: Demonstrated ability to train and mentor staff and volunteers; effectively and appropriately delegates tasks; promotes and supports teamwork and cooperation; skilled in situational and facilitative leadership. Willing to work with and support limited resource audiences.

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