PLANET Student Career Days – The National Collegiate Landscape Competition – kicked off at Auburn University on March 7. The event, in its 37th year, is the largest annual gathering of Green Industry companies and students.
Student Career Days offers the chance for companies to meet and interview the nation’s most promising horticulture and landscape students, while bringing together some of the industry’s largest equipment manufacturers to meet the next generation.
More than 800 students from 60 colleges from around the country jumped into workshops on Thursday to learn more about the events they would be competing in on Saturday. There are 28 different individual and team events which directly relate to the skills necessary for a career in the Green Industry, including arboriculture, 3-D landscape design, irrigation techniques, hardscape installation, plant identification, and business management.
Students also attend a career fair and career development series. Many receive scholarships. PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation (PLANET AEF) is awarding 68 scholarships worth $74,300 this season, many of which are given out at Student Career Days.
This year’s Student Career Days major sponsors include Stihl Inc. at the Platinum level; John Deere at the Gold level; Caterpillar Inc., Gravely, and New Holland Construction at the Silver level; and Belgard, Brickman, Husqvarna, and Pavestone at the Bronze level.
