The NSCA Education Foundation announced the launch of igniteyourcareer.org – an online portal to attract and retain talent in the communications technology industry.

Currently, lack of awareness among up-and-coming students and young professionals means that great jobs in the industry go unfilled. Graduating students aren’t aware of the promising and lucrative careers available in communications technology. Ignite brings together students, graduates, educators and employers to cultivate a new generation of leaders in fields ranging from AV and communications to security, life safety and IT/networking.

The igniteyourcareer.org portal is an interface for students who want to explore the communications industry — and industry organizations that want to network and interact with these students. The next time an integrator wants to describe what their work is all about, igniteyourcareer.org explains it all. Defining the industry and revealing the many career opportunities available, the site also shows off cool technology projects through graphics, images, and videos.

“After a brainstorming session with folks in Minnesota, we came to a realization,” says Kelly Perkins, NSCA Education Foundation program director. “Basically, there is no single ‘career path’ in this industry because there’s too much opportunity. Instead of creating static career paths, we interviewed more than 25 industry professionals about how they entered the field — and what they do — to give students a real-world look at our industry’s opportunities.”

The portal also features a free job board where NSCA members can post unlimited open positions for students. Integrators and manufacturers can also find the following resources on the portal:

• Mentorship and internship toolkits and best practice guidelines
• Scholarship information
• Student success stories
• An Industry/Educator Ambassador Locator, which pinpoints organizations that participate in Ignite and educational institutions that offer relevant industry degrees and/or certifications
• Information about becoming an Ignite Ambassador