The National Association of Landscape Professionals’ (NALP) 46th annual National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC) — scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday, March 16 to 19, 2022 — is rapidly approaching.
In our last blog on the event, we talked about why the NCLC is a must-go for landscape companies looking to hire top talent. More than 800 landscape and horticulture students from across the country will descend on North Carolina State University in Raleigh to compete in 32 different events. They’ll also have resumes in hand and be prepared to talk with business owners about job opportunities during the NCLC Career Fair from 9:30 to 1 p.m. Thursday in the Carmichael Gym. You can find Ewing at Booth 114.
In addition to the Career Fair, here are five things to put on your to-do list while you’re in Raleigh. For a full lineup by day, visit the event schedule on the NCLC website.
Students preparing for competitions will spend Wednesday taking qualifying exams and attending pre-competition workshops taught by industry professionals.
That evening, there are two receptions to consider attending:
RSVPs are not required to attend either reception. Face coverings are required at all indoor events on the NCSU campus, regardless of vaccination status.
Attending the competition’s Opening Ceremony from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the Talley Student Union Ballrooms is a great way to get into the NCLC spirit. Lively team introductions and school cheers provide a who’s who of competitors and fire everyone up for the events to follow.
After the ceremony, the Career Fair will kick off at 9:30 a.m., then event briefings beginning at 2 p.m. Thursday at several sites on campus will be the last chance to ask questions and hear details about the competitive events, some of which begin that evening. The full list of briefings is available on the events schedule.
Ewing and Hunter Industries have teamed up to co-sponsor Thursday evening’s NALP Career Development Series. In addition to hearing from former NCLC participants on how to find the right internship and job, students who attend series presentations by top industry professionals on topics they might not be offered at their respective schools will have a chance to win one of three $500 scholarships.
The scholarship money will go toward winning teams’ 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.
Friday will be devoted to the bulk of NCLC’s competitive events, held at sites across the campus, where attendees can see the future of the green industry at work. Student teams will compete for points in a variety of events, with the team amassing the most points named the overall winner.
Ewing, an NCLC Bronze Partner, is primary sponsor of the irrigation troubleshooting and assessment competition, and co-sponsor of the irrigation assembly and design competition with Hunter Industries.
Students competing in the irrigation troubleshooting competition can find a variety of troubleshooting resources on Ewing’s NCLC Resources page. Information on the site also serves as a good resource for contractors needing to troubleshoot a system.
NCLC will wind down Saturday with a Top 5 Showcase from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the Talley Student Union Ballrooms, followed by the presentation of individual event and overall winners from 9 to 11 a.m. during the Closing Ceremony.
If you have a question about the career fair, competitive event sponsorship, registration, website, or a general event question, email Jenn Myers, NALP Foundation Executive Director and Senior Director of Workforce Development, at jenn@landscapeprofessionals.org.
We look forward to seeing everyone at the event. Be sure to visit us at Booth 114 at the Career Fair, and drop by the irrigation troubleshooting and assessment and the irrigation assembly and design competition sites to say hello and watch the student teams in action.