As the old adage goes, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.” In an effort to teach a man to fish, Husqvarna has teamed with PLANET, the Professional Landcare Network, to again sponsor their Annual Student Career Days in an effort to continue to advance their skills and opportunities for future business endeavors.

“PLANET is an industry-leading organization that provides these participants the ability to showcase their work while making lasting connections with industry experts that could pay future dividends,” states John Marchionda, VP of Marketing for Husqvarna. “As an organization, Husqvarna is dedicated to the advancement of the landcare industry and have proudly sponsored this event for the past eleven years.”

At what became the first ALCA (now PLANET) Field Days in 1977, 18 industry members showed up and five schools participated. This important event continued to grow over the years. In 2008, 67 colleges were in attendance with 961 students competing in 26 green industry related events. The students also had the opportunity to meet and interview with more than 100 companies who were participating in the career fair. More than 400 industry representatives were in attendance and supported the event as sponsors or with career fair booths.

During this annual three-day competitive event among students enrolled in horticulture programs from colleges and universities across the country, the students have the chance to compete in events that are directly related to the skills necessary for a career in the green industry. The event also offers a Career Fair which gives the students the opportunity to meet prospective employers in the industry and discuss employment opportunities. 

This year’s event was hosted by Chattahoochee Technical College in Atlanta, GA and held April 8 - 11, 2010.

ABOUT HUSQVARNA
The Husqvarna Group is the world's largest producer of outdoor power products including chainsaws, trimmers, lawn mowers and garden tractors. It is the European leader in consumer irrigation equipment under the Gardena brand. The Group is also one of the world leaders in cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction and stone industries. Net sales in 2009 were SEK 34 billion and the average number of employees was 15,000.