Welcome to N.C. Cooperative Extension!

We are so glad you’re here! There are plenty of details to iron out as you get settled into your role. Follow these two checklists in your first days/weeks on the job to make sure you are fully set up for success:

• N.C. Cooperative Extension Onboarding Checklist
• Technology To Do List for New County Extension Employees (from Extension IT)

The Five Components of N.C. Cooperative Extension Onboarding

• Orientation – For both NC State Extension and Cooperative Extension at NC A&T employees, there is a specific Onboarding Orientation process. NC State Extension employees will be contacted by Steve Norris from Extension HR within the first 30 days of employment to walk through employee benefits (healthcare, retirement, etc.) New NC A&T Extension employees can find information about orientation and benefits here: NC A&T New Employee Information
• Mentoring Program – Most new employees* are assigned a peer Mentor for their first year of employment. Supervisors work to identify Mentors for their employees. New employees should register for the Extension Mentoring Program Training for Mentees through the Extension Learning Management System. This is a one-time training designed to help new employees understand the program, what they can expect from a mentor, and what is expected of the new employee as a mentee. Mentors may reach out to their mentees at any time, they do not have to wait until after the new employee attends the mentoring program training. *Please note, EFNEP has its own process for mentoring new hires, so new EFNEP educators are not assigned mentors through the Extension Mentoring Program.
• Self-guided Training – This is a self-paced, online program for all New Extension employees. Employees may register and begin the Extension Onboarding Moodle Course by clicking the hyperlinked text. Parts 1 and 2 of this online Moodle course are for all employees and a certificate of completion to share with the supervisor will be issued once they are both complete. Part 3 is focused on Programming and while it is designed for Agents, anyone may wish to complete this section also. A second certificate is issued if the employee completes this section of the training. You will also need to complete the following required training: Civil Rights for New Extension Professionals
• Extension Early Career Conference – This in-person onboarding training is offered each May and November and is designed for employees within the first six months of employment. Each Early Career Conference will consist of general onboarding topics relevant to all new N.C. Cooperative Extension employees, in addition to chances to network with Extension staff and program specialists. See the dates for the next conference and learn more on our Early Career Conference webpage.
• Subject Matter Training – Specific training is offered for new employees in their subject area. Agriculture, 4-H, FCS, and EFNEP all offer subject matter specific training. Program Assistants and Technicians may complete Subject Matter Training according to their areas of responsibility, and guided by the Agent or CED that they assist. Training is offered in various formats, and may be ongoing or at specific times during the year. Begin your Subject Matter Training using the links provided below and look for more opportunities from your supervisor and in emails from professionals in your subject matter area.

Begin Self-guided Onboarding

• Extension Onboarding Moodle Course
• Civil Rights for New Extension Professionals
• NC State Extension Organizational Chart

Begin Subject Matter Training

• 4-H Agents and PAs – Resources for 4-H Professionals
• Agriculture Agents and PAs – Resources for new ag professionals
  • These resources for agriculture agents and PAs come from a previous “New Ag Agent Training” where all ag program areas came to campus for onboarding training. Now with Early Career Conference covering general onboarding topics and individual program areas (hort, livestock, field crops) offering their own specific training, the previous version of New Ag Agent Training is no longer needed. As we continue making that transition, we have shared the resources from that training that are still useful for our newest ag agents and PAs.
• Administrative Professionals
• Family and Consumer Sciences Agents
• Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)
  • EFNEP Educators New Educators Skills Training (NEST) course
  • EFNEP Program Resources
  • Resources for CEDs and/or Agents with EFNEP Educators in their counties

Supplemental Onboarding Resources

Extension Abbreviations and Acronyms Sheet  – Not sure what an abbreviation or acronym means? Check our list of those frequently used in Extension.

NCCE Community Standards – Updated June 2023  – Our Community Standards outline organization-wide guidance for topics including work schedules, appropriate dress, reporting absences, and more.

Roots to Results: Overview of the Cooperative Extension System – While we have our own N.C. Cooperative Extension self-paced onboarding course, you might find it helpful to take a look through this online course from the Extension Foundation! This is a flexible resource designed to support onboarding, professional development, and increased awareness of Extension’s unique role and impact, and takes around 30 minutes to complete. To access the course on the Campus platform, login with your existing credentials, or create a new account and search for “Roots to Results,” OR browse the Professional Performance category and locate the course there.