NPMA's Workforce Development Program: 2026 Mid-Year Successes
Since launching in October 2020, NPMA’s Workforce Development Program has focused on two core goals:
- Raise awareness and increase pride in professional pest control as a viable and desirable career path for today's jobseeker.
- Drive jobseekers to apply for open positions at careers.PestControlJobs.com and help NPMA members fill the pipeline with strong candidates.
Putting the Program in Front of New Audiences
This year, we hit a major milestone: the launch of the program's first-ever national awareness campaign, expanding our reach beyond active jobseekers and introducing pest control careers to entirely new audiences.
Launched in spring 2026, the awareness campaign targets two key audiences: young workforce entrants and career changers ready for something new. Traffic drives to new landing pages at gethired.pestcontroljobs.com, built to capture attention and move jobseekers to action.
Early results have exceeded industry benchmarks across every platform:
- LinkedIn CTR of 4.00%, vs. a 1% industry benchmark
- Meta CTR of 0.43%, vs. a 0.4% industry benchmark
- Display CTR of 0.16%, vs. a 0.1% industry benchmark
The creative is delivering strong results. Since launch, the campaign has generated over 31,000 clicks across platforms, reached more than 1.28 million people through LinkedIn and display advertising combined, and driven thousands of people to the new gethired.pestcontroljobs.com landing pages.
While still in its early stages, the campaign is building strong momentum and creating new opportunities to introduce the industry to prospective employees.
National Recognition for Pest Control Careers
This spring, pest control careers received national exposure through a feature in MarketWatch highlighting "AI-proof" jobs with strong demand and long-term stability. The article reinforced the industry’s value by emphasizing the human skills, technical expertise and customer service that remains essential to the profession.
Job Board Growth Continues
The program's job board is outperforming 2025 across key metrics. Jobs postings have increased more than 100% year-over-year, and applications submitted are up more than 170% year-over-year during peak performance months. With thousands of jobs posted and thousands of applications submitted each month, the platform continues to serve as a vital connection point between employers and jobseekers.
Connecting Directly with Future Talent
NPMA participated in the Jobs for America's Graduates National Career Development Conference, engaging approximately 1,500 conference participants through an interactive breakout session and exhibit hall presence. The event provided valuable opportunities to introduce young people to career pathways in pest control.
The program also continued its outreach to military audiences through biannual features in Stars & Stripes Magazine’s Transition Guides. The spring 2026 issue, published mid-May, featured content centered on NPMA's Next Rank Fund and highlighted career opportunities for service members, veterans and military families.
Sharing Real Career Stories
This spring, the program published a new Careers in Action profile featuring Jacob Ivision, offering an authentic look at a real career path in the industry. The profile is being amplified across social media, with additional employee stories currently in development.
Looking Ahead
As we move into the second half of 2026, the Workforce Development Program continues to build momentum through expanded awareness efforts, strategic partnerships, and ongoing investment in attracting the next generation of pest management professionals.
None of this work would be possible without the leadership of the program’s Steering Committee and the continued investment and support of our sponsors.
