A commonality among interview questions revolves around strengths and skills that could potentially benefit an organization. As technology within the workplace changes at an alarming rate, coupled with an aging workforce in vocational and agricultural sectors, the skills gap between those entering the workforce and those retiring has widened, causing issues to organizations bottom line. Just as there is a shortage of technically skilled workers in various vocational industries, school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers are no stranger to having a deficit in technical skills related to teaching agriculture and agriculturally related content. After conducting a national survey and validating a 169-item instrument through a principal component analysis, 142 technical skills from seven agriculturally related career and content focused components were identified as necessary for beginning SBAE teachers entering the profession. Comparisons across personal and professional characteristics of SBAE teachers nationwide resulted in significant difference across four distinct areas of teacher certification type, gender, number of teachers within programs, and years of experience. Assessment of current SBAE teacher needs regarding technical skill development should be conducted at the state level to identify purposeful professional development opportunities within each state. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]