Company Owners Can Get Face Time with Students Looking for Jobs

Student Career Day
Networking roundtables with partnering tree care companies will return to Student Career Day this year, which takes place Friday, November 17, during TCI EXPO ’23 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Changes are coming to Student Career Day at TCI EXPO ’23 in St. Louis, Missouri, November 16-18. They will enhance the experience for students and expand opportunities for tree care companies to get in front of student participants. Partnership opportunities include more face time for tree care company representatives at the show. They also include exposure options for companies that can’t be in attendance but still want to support the industry’s future workforce.


Student Career Day (SCD) is the component of TCI EXPO that is open to students enrolled in arboriculture, horticulture, landscape, urban-forestry and related programs at high schools, vocational schools, colleges and universities. This annual event is the largest free career-development event for students in the industry. It connects students and schools with the latest industry practices and technology, all led by tree care industry experts.

Student Career Day title sponsor


Stihl Inc. is title sponsor for Student Career Day and has been for more than 15 years. Stihl is a major advocate of helping to build a pipeline of tree care professionals to meet the demand for arborists. This sponsorship supports students who are entering the field, exposing them to all the great opportunities in the tree care industry.

Student Career Day
Student Career Day EXPO ’22


“Stihl is committed to fostering the next generation of tree care professionals, which is why we are a proud supporter of the TCIA Student Career Day event. These students bring energy, motivation and a fresh outlook on tree care, and truly represent the future of our industry,” says Adam Wolff, event marketing specialist with Stihl Inc.


In collaboration with Stihl, and to further enrich the Student Career Day experience for students, advisors and partners, TCIA has incorporated new elements into the event. Many popular features of SCD remain intact. This includes a presentation by Mark Chisholm, CTSP, during which he discusses his career path. Chisholm is director of operations with Aspen Tree Expert Co. Inc., a dual-accredited, 36-year TCIA member company based in Freehold, New Jersey. He also is a Stihl spokesperson as a member of Team Stihl.


Networking roundtables with partnering tree care companies will return to Student Career Day this year, on Friday, November 17. New features include a student-competition element.
While not officially part of Student Career Day, Saturday, November 18, will feature live equipment demonstrations and education for students.


Workforce development


Student Career Day is a valuable component of TCI EXPO for a variety of reasons, according to Erin Demers, TCIA’s manager of workforce recruitment and retention.


“The power in Student Career Day is in how it connects students and tree care professionals,” says Demers. “It’s amazing to see how engaged the students are when networking with staff from the tree care companies that take part. All students who attend get to ask questions and hear about real experiences from industry experts, and all walk away from the event with great connections.


“This year, Student Career Day is better tailored to what students have been asking for. This includes hands-on experiences such as the competition element. Student Career Day is the perfect opportunity for tree care companies to get face time with the next generation of arborists. I look forward to seeing many familiar and new faces in 2023!”


Plans for 2023


Student Career Day takes place on Friday. However,TCIA encourages students and advisors to take advantage of the All-Access Pass (included with their SCD registration) and come to TCI EXPO as early as Thursday and stay through Saturday. From the trade-show floor to educational sessions and EXPO Climb, there is a lot to see and do at TCI EXPO.


Student career day opportunities for partnership


How can you involve your company? Tree care companies are encouraged to participate by becoming a Student Career Day partner. There are three partnership levels for Student Career Day 2023: Tree, Sapling and Seed.


Two levels of partnership are available for companies that want to attend and participate in Student Career Day. Tree and Sapling partnerships receive many opportunities to be featured in TCIA marketing collateral. They also gain direct access to students throughout the event, particularly during networking roundtables and the Awards Reception. Partners will receive a student attendee list after the event, in order to reach out to students and schools personally.


The Seed Partnership is also known as the “Adopt-a-School” Partnership. It is a great opportunity for any tree care company or exhibitor that wants to support Student Career Day and workforce development in the industry but cannot attend. This partnership will help plant the seeds for the future of the tree care industry by supporting a school traveling to TCI EXPO ’23. Funds will be distributed directly to schools registered for SCD 2023 on a first-come, first-served basis. The minimum partnership contribution is $500.


For more information, please contact TCIA’s Erin Demers at erin.demers@tcia.org.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Click to listen highlighted text!