Assiniboine Community College is looking to add an ag operator program to its list of offerings.

While a definitive start date has not yet been set, the school has been in communication with farm groups like Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), to discuss the needs of the program and gather feedback on the development of the curriculum.

"KAP did pass a resolution last year wanting to explore a little bit further the potential for an ag operator program or something of that nature. So at the college here we've been having some discussions about what that might look like, and we've started developing the framework of what we think might need to be included in a program of that nature," said Tannis James, the director of continuing studies at the college.

On Thursday the school presented a tentative outline of the curriculum to KAP.

The idea for the program is attached to the need for more skilled professionals in this field, James said. Some program elements may include safe work practices, equipment maintenance, mobile equipment startup and basic operations, GPS guidance systems, some livestock industry equipment identification, grain industry equipment identification, and safe transportation of implements on the road.

Some of the course material already exists in other programs at the college, James says, so some content can be pulled from those courses, but some new material will have to be developed as well.

As it stands, the duration of the program will be around 500 hours long with a couple weeks of practicum.

James says the school will continue to collaborate with farm groups to ensure the needs of producers are included in the curriculum.

"Ultimately the goal is for us to have a program available that meets the needs of those employers that are going to be hiring our graduates," she said.

James says a program offered in winter would be ideal because students could practice their skills in spring, but the school has yet to finalize when the program will open.