NPMA LAUNCH program strengthens the workforce pipeline

This year, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) is tackling the industry’s most persistent challenge head-on: the workforce. The U.S. pest management industry is valued at more than $13 billion and continues to grow, but the talent pipeline hasn’t kept pace. 

To close that gap, the NPMA is introducing LAUNCH: Pest Management Career Summit, the industry’s first dedicated collegiate career summit. It will take place March 8–10, 2027, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Seek out talent

LAUNCH is built around a simple idea: Pest management needs talent from far more than one discipline. The industry’s workforce needs span business, technology, science and service — the four pillars that anchor LAUNCH’s brand identity. From sales and marketing to operations, fleet management and customer technology, today’s pest management companies are hiring across fields and levels of experience.

Over three days, LAUNCH brings together college students and other aspiring talent for an Employer Engagement Zone career fair, team-based projects that let students apply their skills to real industry problems, professional development sessions, networking receptions and the NPMA Pest Management Foundation Award Celebration. 

For NPMA member companies, the summit offers direct access to motivated students who may never have considered pest management as a career path. For industry suppliers, it’s a chance to build brand awareness with the next generation of the workforce.

Contribute to the conversation

Faculty, department heads and career services staff play an essential role in making LAUNCH possible. These academic partners serve as key intermediaries in reaching students, and the NPMA is equipping them with the tools and messaging to help connect their students with opportunity. The NPMA also encourages members to start conversations now with local colleges and universities — particularly those with business, technology, science and service-related programs — about getting involved.

Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities for LAUNCH are now available, giving companies and suppliers a chance to shape the event from the ground up. More details on sponsorship tiers and the Employer Engagement Zone are now available at NPMAlaunch.org. 

From building the workforce of tomorrow through LAUNCH to celebrating the industry today at PestWorld, the NPMA remains focused on strengthening pest management for the long term — one connection, one career and one conversation at a time.

PestWorld 2026 is right around the corner

Image: NPMA

Before LAUNCH takes the stage in 2027, the industry’s flagship event returns this fall. PestWorld 2026 will take place Oct. 20-23 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. It will bring together thousands of pest management professionals, suppliers and innovators for four days of education, networking and inspiration.

This year’s program includes keynote presentations from Riaz Meghji, author of Every Conversation Counts: The 5 Habits of Human Connection That Build Extraordinary Relationships, and Kyle Scheele, a speaker known as the “patron saint of crazy ideas.”

There also will be dozens of concurrent education sessions across seven tracks, the industry’s largest exhibit hall, and signature events like the opening Ceremony, In the Mix and Pest Fest closing party. The NPMA also will recognize the best of the best in the industry through its annual awards program, including the Pinnacle Award, Excellence in Sustainability Award and Emerging Leaders Award, among others. Learn more at PestWorld2026.org.

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/npma-launch-program-strengthens-the-workforce-pipeline/
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