Be a green industry head-hunter

In October, more than 125 businesses registered to take part in Seed Your Future’s inaugural Green Career Week. The event gave professionals in the floriculture and horticulture industries an opportunity to speak to students about careers in their field and plant seeds for a budding new workforce. Participants talked with students at their schools or invited them to visit their businesses and promoted careers on social media throughout the week. 

Professionals who took part in the event emphasized the power and importance of coming together to build tomorrow’s workforce. They were able to make lasting connections in their communities for mentorships, internships and, eventually, jobs, says Jazmin Albarran, executive director of Seed Your Future.

Alyson Upshaw, social media manager at Ball Horticultural Company, and three of her colleagues spoke with students at West Chicago High School. In their 15-minute presentations, they talked about careers in marketing, sales, logistics, and research and development. Each discussed their unique perspective about the field and how they contribute to it.

“I think it’s going to be essential for our industry to engage this next generation, whether it’s high school or college, because to keep us fresh, to keep us thriving as an industry, we need that young talent,” says Upshaw. 

Ball also gave the school young plants to grow in their greenhouse and plan to have the students spend a day touring their facilities and learning more about different careers.

The next Green Career Week is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2023 to March 3, 2023. Get involved and learn more here: seedyourfuture.org/green-career-week