Everyone is always searching for the next best thing, but what if we could create it?
Students and young professional members are the future of the precast concrete industry, and it is vital that they receive training and a space to grow into the best version of themselves, which will benefit the industry.
The Young Professionals Network Community is a space created for the next generation of precasters to connect, share and grow together. In EPIC, NPCA’s communication tool for members, the Young Professionals Network is a platform where employees in the precast concrete industry can learn more about the association and interact with one another and prepare to become future leaders in precast.
“This is a way to get young professionals involved in the association and training and developing them to serve on committees and then serve on the board eventually,” said Christina Trexler, NPCA’s vice president of workforce innovations and executive director of the NPCA Foundation.
But, before the Young Professionals Network was established, a task force was formed to lay the groundwork.
The idea for the Young Professionals Task Force was hatched at the NPCA Spring Board Meeting in 2024.
“A board member turned to me and said, ‘Are we missing a voice at this table?’” Trexler said.
That’s when Trexler proposed creating a group exclusively for young professionals in the industry, and, in the following months, the idea turned into reality. Trexler presented her idea to members of the NPCA Board of Directors and the NPCA Foundation Board of Directors. She handed out applications to the members, who then distributed them to the applicable individuals: anyone in the precast industry under 40 years old.
Once the task force came to life, the members began collaborating on ways to get young professionals involved and networking with others in the industry. Thus, the idea for the Young Professionals Network was born.