By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
The Missouri Department of Conservation is recruiting new people that want to become conservation agents.
Applications are currently being taken as the Missouri Department of Conservation searches for qualified applicants to train to become conservation agents.
Protection Branch Major Brian Ham says the work force shortage has affected the department, like everywhere, by making the job market more competitive.
"We're very fortunate with the administration that we have and the commission that we have that have recognized that there's a lot of competition out there and have been very, very proactive in addressing salary and equities potentially and making it more attractive to work for, not only the department of conservation, but be a state employee," Ham tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Ham says even with the ongoing workforce shortage the department hasn't had too much trouble finding new agents.
"Like everywhere, we have seen a little bit of a downturn in the number of applicants that we have received versus like what we used to have back in the 90's or early 2000's, we have seen a percentage drop," Ham explains.
But Ham says that even with just a recruiting class of 16, 18, or 20 people.
"We are still able to hire enough qualified applicants, find enough qualified applicants, that have that mission mindset of conserving things for the future," he says.
Ham says that the departments' base goal is to see one agent per county.
"Then some counties you have more than one, down in the Ozarks there's more than one and a lot of those counties there around the Irving areas there's two agents per county there," Ham says. "But, when you get more out in the rural areas, our goal is to have one agent per county, but we aren't always able to meet that."
Ham says with retirements and limited capacity for training the department is constantly looking to fill those positions.
The department is taking applications through July for its next training course. Chosen applicants will begin their training to be an agent in March of next year.