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By Sharla Ishmael W to an industry they’ve likely never heard of? Perhaps it’s before they even start thinking about future jobs much less planning a career path. Despite the stereotype about today’s young people being glued to their screens, when an FFA student wins a prize for their mechanics project that is might just open a new world for them. Imagine an elementary student in a 4-H club who learns through an agricultural product ID quiz that renderers upcycle the unused parts of harvested livestock into sustainable older and have interests in a career focused on sustainability watched a video called “Rendering: Every Part Has a Purpose” ends up going to trade school to be, for example, a welder. At their school’s career fair, this trade school student stops by a planted about the industry years earlier leads them to consider Jacki Kaluzny Vollmer is the human resources manager lead to new hires. “The knowledge of our industry is so small, and the lack of are and what we do,” Vollmer explains. “I think being able to their tools and what they’ve provided for all industry members is very important. There is a lot more work to do though in terms of high schools, college recruitment, technical schools, but every bit of exposure helps build rendering’s brand.” 44 June 2025 Render food manufacturers, warehouses like Amazon and other big “They have a lot to choose from, but for us to really be rendering in general,” she explains. “How do we bring more versus somewhere they are just another cog in the wheel? “Some rendering companies are still small businesses think about,” Vollmer points out. “Another big selling point all this movement towards sustainability. Selling our story of choose a career based on something they feel connected to.” Obviously, there are many people in the rendering business who don’t have an agricultural background, but that is a natural repair and much more — as well as leadership skills like public FFA and 4-H have local chapters in every rural community and many urban areas as well so renderers can connect locally wherever they do business. stand for Future Farmers of America. Today, FFA programs go beyond typical farming and ranching interests as students learn about horticulture, aquaculture, food sciences, engineering, learning skills that will help them in a future during the school day. a broad range of topics, like ag sales, entomology, applied agricultural engineering, meats and poultry at local, district, www.rendermagazine.com
