Texas International Produce Association Expands Networking Program EDGE; Dante Galeazzi Details
MISSION, TX - Networking is essential to a successful career in fresh produce, and the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) is aiming to encourage that experience. The organization is expanding its Encouraging Discovery & Growth in Education (EDGE) program, which is the next step of the original Aggies for Fresh program launched in 2017. Designed to offer students information, exposure, and connections, the program aims to help identify career paths and hire-ready roles in the fresh produce industry.
“As an industry, we face a talent shortage, and the fresh produce industry needs to be more aggressive in bringing people to us and making fresh produce industry a career path of choice. It’s why EDGE was so aptly named,” stated Dante Galeazzi, President and Chief Executive Officer of TIPA. “We all need an EDGE, an advantage to succeed, and we want to make sure the entire supply chain is well-staffed for the future.”
Internships and immediate job openings in the region’s fresh produce industry will all be explored through the program. Participants this year include universities throughout Texas with outreach to a variety of departments in the hopes of recruiting students from all degree areas.
EDGE gives students and educators a valuable resource of both access and opportunity to a small portion of a $1.5 trillion food industry, a press release stated. It also provides industry businesses with a direct line to students and recent graduates who are eager to join the workforce.
“By introducing and promoting the wide range of opportunities in the industry through the EDGE program, we hope to pique interest and guide students to a sector unknown to many students,” Galeazzi said. “On behalf of TIPA, we are excited to continue taking an active role in shaping the future of agriculture through the EDGE program.”
TIPA will welcome students to this year’s Viva Fresh Expo on April 1. Companies interested in meeting with EDGE students should contact Melinda Goodman.
Stay tuned for more from this forward-thinking program.
