NPMA Launches Career Summit to Address Pest Management's Workforce Crisis

FAIRFAX, Va. — The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) announced LAUNCH: Pest Management Career Summit, a first-of-its-kind collegiate event designed to build a stronger talent pipeline for the $13+ billion U.S. pest management industry. The inaugural summit will take place March 8–10, 2027, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

The association said LAUNCH was created to address one of the industry's most pressing challenges: a persistent shortage of skilled workers, particularly pest control technicians. Pest management has never had a single traditional academic pipeline. In reality, the industry's workforce needs span business, technology, applied sciences and skilled trades, with the greatest demand concentrated in technician roles. LAUNCH reflects that reality, drawing college students and other emerging talent from technical schools, two-year programs and four-year institutions alike, rather than a single field of study.

The event brings together four key audiences: college students and other emerging talent, faculty and career services professionals who influence student career decisions, NPMA member pest control companies and industry suppliers. Over three days, students will engage in the Employer Engagement Zone — a career fair connecting them directly with hiring companies — alongside team-based Challenges, professional development sessions, and networking receptions built around the summit's core theme: Business. Technology. Science. Service.

“Pest management is a dynamic, growing industry, but too few students and other emerging talent know it's even an option,” said Dominique Stumpf, CAE, CEO of NPMA. “LAUNCH is our opportunity to change that — to show talent from technical schools, two-year programs, and four-year universities alike, across every discipline from business to the skilled trades, that this industry offers real careers with real growth potential. We're proud to bring this event to life in Knoxville and to partner with faculty and career services professionals who are on the front lines of guiding students toward their next opportunity.”

Faculty, department heads and career services staff play a central role in the LAUNCH strategy. NPMA is engaging these campus influencers directly to help identify and encourage student participation, recognizing their outsized impact on where students look for career opportunities.

For NPMA member companies and industry suppliers, LAUNCH offers a direct line to emerging talent through career fair participation and a range of sponsorship opportunities. Details on sponsorship tiers are now available.

More information for students and faculty is available at launchyourpestcareer.org. Companies and suppliers interested in participating or sponsoring can learn more at npmalaunch.org.