PMA Education Foundation to roll out career web site
PMA Education Foundation to roll out career web site
MONTEREY, CA -- The PMA Education Foundation plans to launch a produce industry job bank on the Internet in the fall. The web site (www.producejobsource.com) will include free resume searches and resume posting. The main goal of the project is to recruit students new to the fresh produce industry, said Cindy Seel, point person on the project for PMA Education Foundation.
Stephanie White, project coordinator, also is a point person for the project along with DMA Solutions, a partner enlisted by the foundation. DMA Solutions is the marketing arm and is involved in strategic planning.
PMA Education Foundation is a not-for-profit entity that is separate from the Produce Marketing Association. Ms. Seel spoke with The Produce News about plans for the web site at the association's recent annual foodservice conference and exposition.
Recruiting people new to the industry particularly involves attracting youthful workers. Job postings largely will be for "entry and intermediate level jobs," Ms. Seel said. Functionalities of the web site are being worked on for the fall rollout.
"This [web site] is meant to be a human resource," Ms. Seel said, adding that with the site, PMA Education Foundation is not operating as a headhunter for the industry.
Ms. Seel said that culinary students are a "perfect fit" for the web site. PMA Education Foundation intends to tap into agriculture and business departments at colleges and universities for recruitment. The foundation has a target list of 50 schools and educators that it is researching, and it is aiming for 20 U.S. schools with four-year students for the initial rollout of the web site.
One element the program seeks to establish is a "shadow" outreach program with produce professionals in the classroom, Ms. Seel said.
PMA Education Foundation recognizes the role of youth in shaping future leadership in the fresh produce industry. In concert with that idea is the understanding that unlike Baby Boomers, the number of Generation Xers is relatively small. The web site also will take aim at Generation Y.
"One of the things I want to establish is networking for young students," Ms. Seel said. "Each generation should be connected to another generation." PMA Education Foundation is starting to build a fund-raising campaign to help with the cost of developing and maintaining the career web site. PMA has given seed money to the effort.
Stephanie White, project coordinator, also is a point person for the project along with DMA Solutions, a partner enlisted by the foundation. DMA Solutions is the marketing arm and is involved in strategic planning.
PMA Education Foundation is a not-for-profit entity that is separate from the Produce Marketing Association. Ms. Seel spoke with The Produce News about plans for the web site at the association's recent annual foodservice conference and exposition.
Recruiting people new to the industry particularly involves attracting youthful workers. Job postings largely will be for "entry and intermediate level jobs," Ms. Seel said. Functionalities of the web site are being worked on for the fall rollout.
"This [web site] is meant to be a human resource," Ms. Seel said, adding that with the site, PMA Education Foundation is not operating as a headhunter for the industry.
Ms. Seel said that culinary students are a "perfect fit" for the web site. PMA Education Foundation intends to tap into agriculture and business departments at colleges and universities for recruitment. The foundation has a target list of 50 schools and educators that it is researching, and it is aiming for 20 U.S. schools with four-year students for the initial rollout of the web site.
One element the program seeks to establish is a "shadow" outreach program with produce professionals in the classroom, Ms. Seel said.
PMA Education Foundation recognizes the role of youth in shaping future leadership in the fresh produce industry. In concert with that idea is the understanding that unlike Baby Boomers, the number of Generation Xers is relatively small. The web site also will take aim at Generation Y.
"One of the things I want to establish is networking for young students," Ms. Seel said. "Each generation should be connected to another generation." PMA Education Foundation is starting to build a fund-raising campaign to help with the cost of developing and maintaining the career web site. PMA has given seed money to the effort.
