Agriculture, environmental, and outdoor careers are vital to Illinois’s economy, natural resources, and food systems. These careers include farming, agribusiness, conservation, environmental science, forestry, landscaping, renewable resources, and outdoor recreation. This page brings together resources to help students and job seekers explore careers, training programs, certifications, and employment pathways in agriculture, environmental, and outdoor fields.
Agriculture careers focus on food production, agribusiness, equipment operation, animal science, crop management, and agricultural technology.
Career Exploration
Illinois workNet – Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Careers
https://www.illinoisworknet.com/Explore/Careers/Pages/AgricultureFoodNaturalResources.aspx
O*NET Online – Agriculture Occupations
https://www.onetonline.org
My Next Move – Agriculture Careers
https://www.mynextmove.org
Training & Credentials
Illinois Department of Agriculture
https://agr.illinois.gov
Illinois Community College Board (ICCB)
https://www.iccb.org
Illinois Training Providers List (ETPL)
https://www.illinoisworknet.com/ETPL
Environmental careers focus on protecting natural resources, sustainability, conservation, environmental compliance, water resources, and land management.
Career Exploration
CareerOneStop – Environmental & Conservation Careers
https://www.careeronestop.org
O*NET Online – Environmental Occupations
https://www.onetonline.org
Training & Certifications
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
https://dnr.illinois.gov
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
https://www.usda.gov
Outdoor careers include forestry, parks and recreation, wildlife management, landscaping, trail maintenance, and outdoor education.
Career Exploration
Illinois workNet – Outdoor & Natural Resource Careers
https://www.illinoisworknet.com
My Next Move – Outdoor Careers
https://www.mynextmove.org
Training Pathways
Community college certificates
Employer-based training
Seasonal and apprenticeship programs
Many agriculture, environmental, and outdoor careers offer paid on-the-job training, seasonal employment, or registered apprenticeships.
Apprenticeship Illinois
https://www.apprenticeshipillinois.com
U.S. Department of Labor – Apprenticeship Finder
https://www.apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-job-finder
Illinois workNet – Apprenticeships
https://www.illinoisworknet.com/apprenticeship
Licensing and certification requirements vary by occupation. Some roles require pesticide applicator licensing, conservation credentials, safety training, or environmental compliance certification, while others rely on employer-based training. Students should confirm regulatory and safety requirements before enrolling in training programs.
Illinois Farm Bureau
https://www.ilfb.org
Illinois Stewardship Alliance
https://www.ilstewards.org
Illinois Environmental Council
https://ilenviro.org
Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC)
https://www.isac.org
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
https://www.illinoisworknet.com/WIOA
FAFSA – Federal Student Aid
https://studentaid.gov
College Navigator – Agriculture & Environmental Programs
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator
Bureau of Labor Statistics – Agriculture & Environmental Data
https://www.bls.gov
Urban agriculture, environmental management, parks and recreation, water resources, sustainability, and conservation roles across public agencies and nonprofits.
Strong demand for farming, agribusiness, equipment operation, land management, and conservation careers. Community colleges and employer-based training are common entry points.
Opportunities include forestry, wildlife management, farming, renewable resources, and outdoor recreation. Hands-on learning and workforce-funded programs are widely used.
For region-specific help with training, funding, and employment, visit the Illinois Regional Career & Workforce Help page linked from this chapter.
This Illinois Career & Education Resource Hub includes links to trusted state agencies, industry organizations, training providers, and workforce programs. Some links may briefly open a Google security or redirect page before continuing to the external site. This is normal and helps protect users when leaving this site.