By: Jennifer Abbott

“Pass the wrench,” says Jill Uken, her grease-smeared hand reaching from beneath a lawn mower. In Parkland College’s diesel tech lab, it’s not unusual to find her elbows-deep in an engine. For Uken, a sophomore in the Diesel Power Equipment Technician program, this kind of hands-on work is more than school. It’s a future she’s proud to build.

Uken is part of a growing trend of young people choosing two-year vocational degrees over traditional four-year paths. And the data backs the trend: enrollment at U.S. public two-year colleges with a strong technical focus, like Parkland, increased by 13.6% in fall 2024, totaling more than 923,000 students. The surge is driven by a growing need for skilled workers and the promise of stable, well-paying careers in trades like diesel technology and heavy equipment mechanics.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for farm equipment mechanics and service technicians will grow 11% from 2023 to 2033—well above the average for all occupations. But whether the industry can meet that demand is still uncertain. In 2025 alone, the country needs to graduate more than 258,000 skilled technicians. Yet, fewer than 50,000 are expected to earn diplomas.

This gap is widening, fueled by an aging workforce, nearly half of all current technicians are over age 45, and a cultural bias that has long favored four-year degrees over vocational training.

Almost three-quarters of U.S. young adults aged 18 to 20 perceive a stigma associated with attending trade schools instead of pursuing a four-year university degree, according to a 2023 Jobber survey. Nearly 80% said their parents preferred they go to college, and just 5% were encouraged to consider vocational education.

Research in the Education and Urban Society journal also found that students pursuing trades are often unfairly labeled as lower achievers. This stigma lingers in both high school guidance offices and college recruiting strategies.

In response to the growing skilled labor shortage in agriculture and lack of support for two-year programs, some local organizations are stepping up to support the next generation of workers. Two years ago, the Champaign County Farm Bureau (CCFB) Foundation launched the FUEL Grant initiative, a scholarship program aimed at encouraging students pursuing careers in ag-related trades. The idea was sparked by longtime member, David Mies, who recognized a lack of support for non-traditional education paths in agriculture.

“While reviewing scholarship applications, I realized many students weren’t pursuing a four-year degree, yet most of our scholarships were designed for that path,” Mies said. “Meanwhile, farmers and agribusinesses are in urgent need of highly qualified workers in ag-trades—roles that often require two-year programs or specialized certifications.”

So, he took action.

Mies teamed up with Kirk Builta, executive director of the Champaign County Farm Bureau Foundation, to bring the idea to life. In 2023, they launched the FUEL Grant program with just two recipients. Since then, it has grown significantly, awarding scholarships to ten and eight students in the years that followed. Grant recipients have gone on to pursue hands-on careers in diesel technology, precision agriculture, and commercial truck driving.

“The CCFB is proud to collaborate with Dave Mies, and other local donors, to impact students, while meeting an urgent industry need,” Builta said.

Mies’s mission resonated deeply with students like Uken. The grant offered more than just financial support; it validated her career path.

“Most scholarships are geared toward four-year degrees,” Uken said. “So it was amazing to find one that truly supported my program.”

And the impact is spreading. Inspired by the FUEL Grant model, the Cook County Farm Bureau recently launched its own initiative: the Moving Ag Forward Scholarships. Designed for individuals and Farm Bureau members in Cook County, the program supports training in agriculturally related skills like diesel mechanics, CDL licensing for hauling, welding, and ag technology.

The need for CDL drivers on the farm is acute. The American Trucking Associations estimate the U.S. is short more than 80,000 truck drivers—a number expected to double by 2030. That might sound like a broad industry issue, but on farms, the impact is direct. A full grain cart and no truck in sight means lost time, lost yield, and lost income.

Getting such a license was attractive to “I would like to be able to help neighbors with harvest,” said Ben Cunningham, a student at Danville Area Community College who is studying for his CDL “And the best way to do that would be to be able to drive a semi and haul grain.”

But CDL programs can be pricey, often ranging from $3,500 to $6,000 in Illinois. For Cunningham, the cost was a huge barrier, until the CCFB stepped in. He, too, is a FUEL Grant recipient.

“This scholarship is really making the difference between enrolling in this program and not being able to,” he said.

New CDL drivers means young adults like Cunningham can stay in rural areas and keep farms afloat.

“These jobs are the backbone of the industry, and if we don’t invest in the people who fill them, we risk the entire system breaking down,” Mies said.

As more students like Uken and Cunningham trade textbooks for tools, they’re not just launching careers—they’re helping keep agriculture in motion.