SkillsUSA Atlanta event promotes workforce development

SkillsUSA

Atlanta event promotes workforce development

Above, from left: NALP Foundation’s Jenn Myers, Oklahoma horticulture instructor Kara Murphy, UAC Executive Director Mary Kay Woodworth, Pamela Moore also from the NALP Foundation, and Raschely Flint from Plants Creative Landscapes teamed together to present the inaugural “National Skills USA Landscape Competition and Careers Booth at the SkillsUSA National Competition at the Georgia World Congress Center June 20-23.

The SkillsUSA event was held in Atlanta June 2023, 2022, with two objectives:

To introduce the great variety of landscape industry careers to a new and very motivated and interested group of young adults (and advisors/parents/ educators) who are serious about entering the workforce.

To introduce the proposed new competition and garner interest and support from teachers, advisors, sponsors and their students at this exclusive national event. Oklahoma instructor Kara Murphy brought her student, Avery (Oklahoma state landscape competition winner) to help with the demonstration competition, and it was terrific! We were very impressed with the overwhelming interest and support from attendees and look forward to reporting our progress in getting this demo event approved for a full-blown national competition for 2023!

We couldn’t have done this without the support of these UAC members: 4 Plant material donation: • Randy Moody, SiteOne Landscape Supply Onsite volunteers in our booth (and swag donators): • Tom Childers, JR Richards, PJ Provinelli - Ewing 4 • Mark Thelen, Michael Baskett, John Blaine - Landmark Landscape • Jeff Walters, Outdoor Expressions • Raschely Flint, Plants Creative Landscapes • Scott Watson, Mark Hopkins - Land Care • Myky Truong - SiteOne Landscape Supply • Maria Vasquez - Ed Castro Landscape • Bryan Tolar, Tolar Capitol Partners

NALP Foundation leaders • Teddy Russell • Ed Castro