NPMA shares workforce development opportunities

IMAGE: NPMA

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) announced more workforce development opportunities to help people grow careers in pest management industry.

Attracting students to the industry

NPMA is continuing its partnership with MANRRS, a national professional organization dedicated to creating career opportunities for minority students in agriculture, natural resources and related sciences. Through leadership of the NPMA Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) Task Force, MANRRS and NPMA began their partnership by establishing PestWorld student scholarships for students to learn from pest management subject matters experts — and get “hooked” on the industry.

“Their whole perspective changed about the pest management industry the moment they started making connections with NPMA members,” Chanel Braxton, NPMA associate director of membership, said in the news release. “Their involvement with NPMA and attending Pest World has impacted their career plans.”

NPMA is expanding its partnership with MANRRS to provide more college and high school students access to careers in pest management.

“MANRRS has established programs that attract curious and invested students of all ages and connect them to meaningful careers. NPMA is committed to providing support, access, and education to attract this future talent. We can’t wait to build new relationships and welcome them to all that NPMA has to offer,” NPMA CEO Dominique Stumpf, CAE, said in the news release.

Expanding NPMA’s veterans hiring program

NPMA has started the process to become an employment partner through the Department of Defense SkillBridge program.

With collaboration and expertise from the NPMA Recruitment & Retention committee and NPMA PestVets Council, this expanded Veteran hiring program is expected to debut to NPMA members this fall. NPMA will be positioned as the administrator of the program for NPMA member companies that do not wish to become a direct SkillBridge partner. NPMA would manage the partnership relationship with the DoD including reporting and management of the program, lessening the burden of administration for NPMA members.

For those that do wish to seek direct partnership, application information and materials can be found here.

NPMA member company Thrasher Pest Control recently became a SkillBridge partner.

“Before we pursued the partnership with DoD’s SkillBridge program, we already had two Veterans and two military spouses on staff and found their diligence, service, and character to be exceptional. We wanted more employees like them. Yet, recruitment is an industry challenge. SkillBridge gives us the opportunity to recruit raw talent that hasn’t yet hit the labor pool and train them for a career in pest management. Our goal is that 100 percent of the military talent we train will accept a job offer from Thrasher Termite & Pest Control at the end of the SkillBridge program,” explained Susan Hare, program director at Thrasher Termite & Pest Control of So Cal.

Look for updates on the NPMA partnership and plan to attend the PestWorld 2023 session, “Grow Your Team .”

Seeking 2023 high school graduates

NPMA’s Workforce Development Program is embracing National Decision Day to highlight the pride and celebration of joining the skilled trades, especially professional pest control, immediately after high school.

On May 1, NPMA will flood social media and feature stories of pest control professionals who started a rewarding career in pest management instead of starting college. NPMA is also pitching these stories to the media to shine a spotlight on opportunities that exist outside of a traditional college path.