In every single business no matter the industry, record keeping is a must. Keeping track of your receipts, expenses, and of course don’t forget taxes, is vital to success. But one challenge that business owners and companies often come to face is trying to find employee’s with experience in the simple task of record keeping. It’s not just business owners either, entrepreneurs looking to start their own businesses definitely need to know how to keep books of their finances and inventories. Luckily, organizations like the National FFA are taking steps to help young people gain experience with record keeping.
So what exactly are students doing to help them prepare? They are completing their own records on their own enterprises or employment. Each member of the FFA completes a Supervised Agricultural Experience Program otherwise known as an SAE. Through an SAE, FFA members start their own agricultural business or seek employment in an agricultural business. Currently there are 52 areas of record books a student can enroll in. Each area is specific to a certain area of the agricultural industry, for example, wildlife production & management, crop production, horticulture, diversified ag production, and agricultural sales. Once a student begins his/her business or becomes employed, they start their record books. Record book keeping includes taking inventory, keeping receipts and expenses, completing taxes, writing down safety activities they complete, and hours worked. Basically, the same information business owners need for their records. After a year’s worth of records books have been completed by an FFA member, they can continue to build their books year after year and also have the chance to compete against other members.
The SAE is a part of the three circle model of agricultural education. It is a very integral part of agricultural education so that the end result after students graduate, is a workforce that is now trained and ready. But not only do FFA members who complete record books learn how in the classroom, they learn through real-world experience! They actually start a business or work for an employer and keep physical records of their actions. What better way to help students learn the system than actually immersing them in what they are learning! This is what the FFA is all about, agricultural education through real world experience in competition and classroom!
Mike Shively
IL FFA PRESIDENT
