February 25, 2026 - By James Leonard - Merced College has been named a 2026 Bellwether Award winner in the Workforce Development category, a national honor recognizing innovative and replicable programs that address critical workforce challenges.

The award recognizes the college’s AgTEC Workforce Initiative, a comprehensive agricultural innovation ecosystem designed to prepare farmworkers and future agricultural professionals for a rapidly evolving industry shaped by automation, robotics and data-driven systems.

The Bellwether Awards, presented annually by the Bellwether College Consortium, are widely regarded as one of the most competitive and prestigious honors in community college education.

“This recognition affirms what we have believed from the beginning: that the future of agriculture depends on investing in people,” Merced College President Chris Vitelli said. “The Central Valley feeds the nation, yet too many of the workers who sustain this industry have lacked access to higher education pathways that lead to economic mobility.

“Through AgTEC, we set out to change that. We built a model that aligns industry need, educational innovation and regional collaboration — and one that is already being replicated well beyond our campus.”

Addressing a Structural Workforce Challenge

California’s Central Valley produces roughly one-quarter of the nation’s food supply, yet many agricultural workers face economic insecurity and limited access to flexible postsecondary education. As farms adopt precision agriculture, GPS-guided equipment, robotics and advanced processing systems, the demand for skilled, technologically proficient workers continues to grow.

Merced College serves as the workforce lead for the multi-county Farms Food Future (F3) Initiative, a regional effort aimed at creating 10,000 high-paying jobs across the food systems value chain and increasing average wages. In that role, the college convened community colleges, employers and workforce partners to design and implement an industry-aligned training model.

At the center of the initiative is the Ag Systems Certificate, the first competency-based education (CBE) program launched in California. Offered in both English and Spanish, the program allows students to demonstrate mastery of 14 industry-validated competencies — ranging from digital literacy and equipment troubleshooting to food safety and crop production systems — rather than progressing solely based on seat time.

To date:

• 155 students have enrolled in the Ag Systems Certificate at Merced College, with 90% identifying as first-time college students.
• Across participating colleges, 600 students have enrolled in the program.
• Students at Merced College have collectively mastered 645 competencies, with 3,300 competencies mastered regionally.
• Program completers report an average entry wage of $25 per hour, with 80% securing job placement within six months.
• More than 50 employer partners have been engaged in curriculum design, validation and applied learning opportunities.

“These outcomes reflect more than enrollment growth,” said Cody Jacobsen, Dean of Agriculture & Industrial Technology. “They demonstrate that when industry helps define competencies, and education adapts to meet workers where they are, we can accelerate skill development and connect students directly to high-quality careers.”

The AgTEC model extends beyond curriculum. The college recently broke ground on the 22,000-square-foot AgTEC Innovation Center, a state-of-the-art facility that will include specialized laboratories for nut, fruit, vegetable and meat processing, a nutrition and product development kitchen, and an on-site farm market.

In partnership with Reservoir Farms, the college will also host the Center for Ag Robotics & Entrepreneurship, an on-campus startup incubator that supports emerging agricultural technology companies while providing students with hands-on, applied learning experiences.

Together, these components form an integrated workforce ecosystem that connects education, applied research, entrepreneurship and industry.

“This work is about long-term economic resilience,” Vitelli said. “We are not only preparing students for today’s jobs, but also building the infrastructure, partnerships, and pathways that will define the next generation of agricultural leadership in the Central Valley and beyond.”

A Scalable Model Already Being Replicated

A key factor in Bellwether’s recognition is the demonstrated scalability and replication of the initiative. The competency-based Ag Systems curriculum developed at Merced College has already been implemented or is in the process of being implemented at multiple community colleges across the state.

The college is also expanding the pathway to include an associate degree and is actively developing a bachelor’s degree in agricultural systems — part of a growing statewide trend that allows community colleges to respond directly to regional workforce needs.

The AgTEC initiative has already drawn national attention. The program has been featured on CBS News and in the Los Angeles Times for its innovative approach to retraining farmworkers for higher-tech, higher-paying roles in agriculture.

The 2026 Bellwether Award further affirms Merced College’s leadership in shaping the future of workforce education through innovation, measurable outcomes and regional collaboration.

“This recognition reinforces Merced College’s growing reputation as a leader in workforce development,” said Jill Cunningham, Vice President of External Relations. “Our work through AgTEC demonstrates that innovation, strong partnerships and measurable results can come from right here in the Central Valley, and we are proud to lead this initiative.”

For more information about the AgTEC Workforce Initiative, visit our website.

Source: Merced College