National Collegiate Landscape Competition a Must-Go for Companies Looking for Top Talent

Peter Weston Maughan celebrates Brigham Young University’s Landscape Management team 2019 first-place-overall win at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Landscape companies looking to recruit some of the best and brightest landscape and horticulture students from colleges, universities, and trade schools across the country should save the date for the National Association of Landscape Professionals’ (NALP) 46th annual National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC).

The event, scheduled Wednesday through Saturday, March 16-19, 2022, at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, is back after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As many as 800 students enrolled in programs across the country are expected to compete with their teammates in 32 different events.

Registration is required for all attendees. Check-ins will begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 15 and continue at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Students Available to Interview for Jobs, Internships

The NCLC Career Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday will bring business owners and students together for job and internship interviews. Those interested in signing up for a booth should register now. Spaces go quickly and are expected to sell out by early February, said Jenn Myers, NALP Foundation Executive Director and Senior Director of Workforce Development. Cost per booth is $800 for NALP members and $1,500 for nonmembers.

If booths are still available in mid-February, prices will increase slightly, she said.

Ewing, Hunter Co-Sponsoring Irrigation Competitions, Career Development Series

Ewing Irrigation is excited to serve as an NCLC Bronze Partner, as primary sponsor of the irrigation troubleshooting and assessment competition, and as a co-sponsor of the irrigation assembly and design competitions with Hunter Industries.

Our Ewing Education team has put together an NCLC Resources page for student competitors and landscape professionals interested in learning more about troubleshooting and maintaining an efficient irrigation system.

Ewing and Hunter also have teamed up to co-sponsor Thursday’s NALP Career Development Series. Students who attend presentations by industry professionals on topics they might not be offered at their respective schools will have a chance to win one of three $500 scholarships that will go toward their team’s 2023 NCLC travel expenses. Scholarships will be awarded to one team in each of the following categories: 25 or more members, 10 to 24 members, and fewer than 10 members.

Hunter also has teamed up with the American Society of Irrigation Consultants to sponsor Irrigation 101: Irrigation Hands-On and Irrigation 201: Principals of Design, two of more than 20 pre-competition student workshops taught by top industry professionals on Wednesday.

Want to Help Out?

Volunteer opportunities abound at NCLC. Ewing customers interested in volunteering during our irrigation competitions and Career Development Series may email events@ewingirrigation.com for more information.

To inquire about other volunteer opportunities, reach out to NALP’s Events Team at events@landscapeprofessionals.org.

What to Bring to the Event

Whether you set up a booth during the Career Fair, work as a volunteer at one or more of the competitions or other events, or you just want to mingle with other attendees, go prepared. Here’s what you should plan to bring:

• People from your organization who can sit down with students to discuss their skills and what they’re looking for in a position, what your company does, what it offers employees, and why a potential employee should work with you;
• Business cards and brochures with your contact information, and how to apply for positions and internships;
• Paper applications; and
• Swag with your company’s contact information.

Attendees are encouraged to use the event’s official hashtag — #NALPNCLC — on posts across their social media platforms before, during, and after the event. For more information on the event and the venue, visit NALP’s website or take a few minutes to watch About the National Collegiate Landscape Competition and 40 Years of the National Collegiate Landscape Competition videos on YouTube.