STARKVILLE, Miss. – More than 800 enthusiastic graduating students put their landscaping skills to the test while participating in the 24th Annual Student Career Days organized by the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). This year’s event was held at Mississippi State University (MSU) in Starkville, Mississippi. The participants competed in 25 skill-testing competitions in this well-known event that, according to the organizers, gets bigger and better every year.
The competitive events, which drew a record number of participants and spectators this year, covered a wide spectrum of landscape skills that ranged from irrigation system troubleshooting to construction of an interlocking concrete paving stone patio. The competitors also had the opportunity to demonstrate business and sales skills in events involving cost estimating and marketing presentations.
The event, which also included a Career Fair, attracted participants from more than 50 schools from across the U.S. and was supported by 70 companies involved in various aspects of the landscape industry. Many industry representatives also attended and assisted in the judging of the various competitions. According to ALCA, the gathering helps the landscape industry meet the growing demand for skilled workers, which has resulted from the rapid growth in the industry.
Total Registrations Top 800
Jim Perry, the organizer for MSU, felt the events were worthwhile for both competitors and spectators. He also commented on the fact that for college students involved in landscaping, the ALCA event is "the largest gathering of its kind in the U.S. that incorporates active and on-going industry sponsorship." The total registrations for the event reached an all-time high of 800 students.
In one of the larger events, 40 teams from landscaping schools across the country competed to construct patios using interlocking concrete pavingstones. The patio construction competition was sponsored in part by concrete landscaping products supplier Pavestone Company of Dallas, Texas. Other sponsors included Pave Tech Inc. of Prior Lake, Minnesota, a supplier of Pave Edge® edge restraint systems, who has donated materials to the ALCA competition for more than 10 years.
Paving the Way to the Future
Bobby Staten, executive vice president of Pavestone, noted that the continuing growth of the interlocking concrete paving stone markets is creating a strong demand for knowledgeable and experienced workers. "It takes a considerable amount of skill to estimate and install pavingstones properly, and this kind of competition can be a tremendous asset for students as they prepare to enter the work force," reports Staten.
Pavingstone Installation Competition Improves Practical Skills
The pavingstone installation competition also helped graduating students prepare for the rapid growth in the use of interlocking concrete pavingstones in both residential and commercial landscaping projects. Interlocking concrete pavingstones are gaining recognition for their up-scale appearance, versatility and durability in a wide range of applications. Proper installation, according to industry experts, is a key factor in long term performance.
The competing teams were supplied with several hundred ICP units, a quantity of sand, assorted safety equipment and hand tools to assist in their task. After receiving preliminary instructions, the teams were also given a package that provided a sketch detailing the size and shape of the patio they were to construct.
The competition began at precisely 10:00 a.m. as the teams started by marking, leveling and staking out the sites that had been numbered by the judges the night before. After spreading and screeding their sand to create a level surface, the students installed PVC edge restraints. The teams then began placing their pavingstones in the pattern prescribed on their site plans. The competitors then swept sand over the surface of their patios to ensure the joints between the pavingstones were full.
The students were judged on installation technique, proper placement of edge restraints, consistency of joints between pavingstones, conformance to the site plan, on-site safety and the general quality of the finished construction. In the event of a tie, the judges were instructed to consider the length of time required to complete the patio.
Dave Peters, national director of contractor/vendor sales from Pavestone Co., was responsible for ensuring the teams understood their instructions and had the necessary materials to accomplish their task. Peters, along with several other knowledgeable hardscaping professionals, also had the tough job of evaluating and judging the finished patios.
Competition Creates Win/Win Situation
Peters believes that the competition creates a "win/win" situation for both the landscape industry and the graduating students. "These annual competitions are a great way to further the interests of the landscape industry and improve the level of skill for workers entering it."
The winners of the competition (by an extremely close margin) were Aaron Fletcher and Cory Koch representing Illinois Central College located in East Peoria, Ill. Aaron, who spoke with us from his home in Peoria agreed that the weather during the competition mirrored typical conditions workers face on-site. "We’re used to rain and wind. It was a little soggy, but you have to work around it." Aaron competed in five events at the ALCA competition.
Finishing second and third were teams representing Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C. and Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
"Not only were these students enthusiastic," reported Peters, after announcing the winning team, "they demonstrated landscaping skills which impressed everyone who attended the event. We had a very, very tough time picking a winner! In fact, we were forced to consider every minor detail to separate the top 10 or 12 teams." There were quite a few teams that were able to produce a finished product that was as close as you could get to a "perfect paver patio" in spite of weather conditions that were less than ideal.
The Next Judge Will Be the Customer
Peters felt that the event provided an excellent learning experience for the students. "Competing against the other teams created a pressure that’s a lot like today’s business environment. It’s competitive out there and many of these graduating students will be facing an even tougher judge within a few months … their customers."
Peters also commented, "Installing concrete pavingstones requires considerable skill and knowledge, and we witnessed a great deal of both at the competition this week. It was also obvious that all of the competitors learned a great deal from the experience."
During the award ceremony Peters reaffirmed Pavestone’s commitment to supporting and sponsoring the ALCA Student Career Days. "Pavestone Co. is very pleased to assist ALCA in maintaining high standards in the industry. We all had a great time in spite of the weather and we’re looking forward to contributing to future competitions. Next year, the ALCA Career Days will be celebrating its’ 25th anniversary. The event will be held in early March at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado."
Paver Patio Industry Sponsors
Pavestone Company of Dallas, Texas has supplied Interlocking concrete pavingstones to projects such as the Port of Tampa, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport. The firm, which employs more than 800 people and has 11 manufacturing facilities across the U.S., is active in providing technical and installation support to landscaping professionals. For more information visit the Pavestone web site at www.pavestone.com.
Pave Tech, Inc. of Prior Lake, Minn., is a leading supplier of products and materials to the pavingstone industry including Pave Edge® edge restraint systems, specialty tools and machinery. Pave Tech has been donating materials to ALCA Career Days for more than 10 years. For further information visit the Pave Tech web site at www.pavetech.com.
Brian Burton is a certified installation instructor for interlocking concrete pavingstones and a frequent contributor to landscaping and construction publications.