In order to address the critical workforce shortage, the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) announced the organization of Landscape Career Day, a nationwide program to bring attention to the rewarding careers that exist within the lawn and landscape profession.
Industry companies are encouraged to host events at their places of business and within their communities that showcase industry careers and highlight the many professional paths that exist. To help companies host such events, NALP’s Industry Growth Initiative created a 21-page toolkit, available to everyone at www.landscapeindustrycareers.org.
The toolkit offers step-by-step instruction for successfully managing several types of events, from community service projects to career fairs to school presentations, and provides resources, including promotional fliers, digital ads, letters to invite elected officials and educators, a letter to request to host a school event, artwork for banners, activity guides and more. Companies are asked to register their projects with the NALP so the association can track the number and types of events being held across the country, and communicate with event hosts.
“Landscape Career Day is modeled after similar events held in other industries that have proven that positive exposure to a profession can dramatically impact students’ interest in pursuing related careers and educators’ interest in encouraging students to pursue related career paths,” noted Missy Henriksen, NALP’s vice president of public affairs. “We need to change people’s impressions of the profession by helping them touch and feel the important and rewarding work done by the talented men and women who help families, communities, and the environment each and every day.”
The event and the supporting resources were created under the direction of the Industry Growth Initiative, which is charged with growing the industry and its workforce. Supported by the voluntary donations of industry businesses, the program is bringing attention to the career opportunities through advertising, media relations, social media outreach and other needed public relations activities.
