December 15, 2017
Youth PQA Plus Training To Be Discontinued
With the launch of the new, national, multi-species youth quality assurance program, Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA), the National Pork Board plans to discontinue their Youth PQA Plus program at the end of 2017. As of January 1, 2018, Youth PQA Plus will no longer be available as an option for young people seeking swine quality assurance training. However, the National Pork Board will honor Youth PQA Plus numbers until they expire, and agents will still be able to use their credentials to log on to the pork board website and verify a young person's certification status or current number. Youth needing quality assurance training for swine, or other livestock species, are encouraged to use YQCA for their certification. This new program was launched in 2017 and provides education on food safety, animal well-being, and life skill development. The National Pork Board partnered with other industry groups, such as National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the American Sheep Industry Council, to develop and launch this new program. The YQCA program is available for youth ages 8-21. Young people may complete the training online or attend a scheduled face-to-face session. More information may be found at www.yqca.org. Kansas is in the process of training Extension Agents to teach the face-to-face sessions. Extension Agents who would like to become a YQCA instructor may contact Lexie at adhayes@ksu.edu or (785)532-1264 for details.
Please note that quality assurance requirements for the Kansas State Fair Grand Drive and Kansas Junior Livestock Show exhibitors have not yet been finalized. This information will be released by March 1, 2018, and will be announced as part of the 2018 State Youth Livestock Nomination Process Updates.